The Board’s Modern Mission

The purpose of the Board of Island Managers is:
To manage assets held by the board to raise revenue for contributions to the public school system of the City of Burlington.

The Board of Island Managers is charged with overseeing the earliest educational trust in the United States, formed in 1682 when the provincial government of West Jersey gave Burlington Island to Burlington City, on the condition that all revenue from use of the island be used to fund eduation. The Board itself was organized in 1727, and has dispensed money from the trust to support education for over 200 years. Revenues from use of the island have been used to provide education for the poor, construct and improve facilities for public schools, and reduce local school taxes.