Bill Text: NJ A4136 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Provides additional State school aid to certain school districts; makes an appropriation.
Spectrum: Unknown
Status: (Introduced) 2024-04-04 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee [A4136 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-A4136-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman MARGIE DONLON, M.D.
District 11 (Monmouth)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman Peterpaul
SYNOPSIS
Provides additional State school aid to certain school districts; makes an appropriation.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning the provision of State school aid for certain school districts and making an appropriation.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. Notwithstanding the provisions of P.L.2018, c.67 (C.18A:7F-67 et al.) or any other law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, a school district shall receive an amount of Supplemental Stabilization Aid, in addition to the amount proposed in the State aid notice for the 2024-2025 school year distributed to school districts in March 2024, if:
(1) the district's State aid differential, as defined in section 3 of P.L.2018, c.67 (C.18A:7F-67), is positive in the 2024-2025 school year;
(2) the district is subject to a State school aid reduction pursuant to the provisions of P.L.2018, c.67 (C.18A:7F-67 et al.) in the 2024-2025 school year; and
(3) the amount of the district's proposed reduction in State school aid for the 2024-2025 school year is greater than one percent of the district's total operating budget in the 2023-2024 school year.
The amount of Supplemental Stabilization Aid provided to a district shall be equal to the difference between the district's proposed reduction in State school aid for the 2024-2025 school year and one percent of the district's total operating budget in the 2023-2024 school year. To receive the Supplemental Stabilization Aid provided pursuant to this section, a school district shall submit to the Commissioner of Education, in a manner and form to be prescribed by the commissioner, a written plan explaining how the district will allocate these funds and how the district will fund operations in future school years in which the district does not receive Supplemental Stabilization Aid or similar supplemental State school aid.
b. In addition to the amounts proposed in the State aid notices for the 2024-2025 school year distributed to school districts in March 2024, there are appropriated such amounts as are required from the Property Tax Relief Fund to the Department of Education to effectuate the provisions of this act.
c. The amounts provided to each school district pursuant to subsection b. of this section shall be distributed as Supplemental Stabilization Aid, to ensure that no district receives a reduction in aid from the 2023-2024 school year that is greater than one percent of the district's total operating budget in the 2023-2024 school year.
d. Supplemental Stabilization Aid provided pursuant to this section shall not be allocated to a county vocational school district that, according to the amounts proposed in the State aid notices for the 2024-2025 school year distributed to school districts in March 2024, is proposed to receive vocational expansion stabilization aid pursuant to section 5 of P.L.2018, c.67 (C.18A:7F-69).
2. This act shall take effect immediately and the aid provided pursuant to this act shall be distributed to school districts in the 2024-2025 school year.
STATEMENT
This bill provides that certain school districts that are subject to a reduction in State school aid under P.L.2018, c.67 (commonly referred to as "S2") for the 2024-2025 school year will receive Supplemental Stabilization Aid. A district would receive Supplemental Stabilization Aid if the district's reduction in State school aid for the 2024-2025 school year under S2 is greater than one percent of the district's total operating budget in the 2023-2024 school year. The aid provided under the bill would ensure that no district receives a reduction in aid from the 2023-2024 school year that is greater than one percent of the district's total operating budget in the 2023-2024 school year. To receive the aid provided under the bill, a school district is required to submit to the Commissioner of Education, in a manner and form to be prescribed by the commissioner, a written plan explaining how the district intends to fund operations in future school years in which the district does not receive Supplemental Stabilization Aid or similar supplemental State school aid. A county vocational school district that receives vocational expansion stabilization aid in the 2024-2025 school year is not eligible to receive Supplemental Stabilization Aid under the bill.
The bill appropriates such amounts as are required from the Property Tax Relief Fund to the Department of Education.
