New Jersey-2018-A484-Introduced

An Act concerning State aid for adult education programs and amending and supplementing P.L.2007, c.260 (C.18A:7F-43 et al.).

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. (New section) The Legislature finds and declares that:

a. New Jersey employers express an ongoing need for employees who possess the academic, technical, and essential employability skills to fill entry-level positions in a wide range of fields that do not require a college degree;

b. Research indicates that many well-paying "middle skill" career pathways can be launched with an industry certificate or an associates degree, and that approximately 17 million such jobs are expected to be filled by the year 2020;

c. New Jersey's diverse population needs a range of educational options that provide multiple pathways to employment and career success, rather than a sole focus on preparation for college;

d. The more than 800,000 New Jerseyans who lack a high school diploma are more likely to be unemployed, will have lower lifetime earning potential, and are more likely to live in poverty. This negatively impacts these individuals, their families, and New Jersey's economy;

e. While adult high schools and county vocational-technical school postsecondary training programs play a critical role in preparing out-of-school youth and adults for entry into the workforce, the elimination of State funding for such programs under the "School Funding Reform Act of 2008," P.L.2007, c.260 (C.18A:7F-43 et al.), has had the unintended consequence of reducing both the number of programs offered and the number of New Jerseyans served; and

f. State funding policy should support a range of available education and training programs that maximize the use of facilities and equipment while enabling adult students to develop critical academic skills for a high school diploma or gain technical and work readiness skills that lead directly to employment.

2. (New section) As used in P.L.2007, c.260 (C.18A:7F-43 et al.), "consolidated county college program" means a non-credit bearing career and technical education program that has been transferred to a county college from a county vocational school district pursuant to a resolution adopted by the board of chosen freeholders of the county, or a concurrent resolution adopted by the board of education of a county vocational school district and the board of trustees of a county college, prior to the effective date of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

3. (New section) For the 2015-2016 school year, and for each subsequent school year prior to the first submission of the Educational Adequacy Report pursuant to the provisions of section 4 of P.L.2007, c.260 (C.18A:7F-46) that occurs after the effective date of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), State aid shall be distributed on an unweighted per pupil basis for pupils enrolled in an approved adult high school and a post-graduate program. State aid shall be distributed on a full-time equivalent basis for a student enrolled in an approved post-secondary program of a county vocational school district or a consolidated county college program. For the 2015-2016 school year, districts and a county college with a consolidated county college program shall receive $1,500 for each adult pupil. For each subsequent school year prior to the first submission of the Educational Adequacy Report pursuant to section 4 of P.L.2007, c.260 (C.18A:7F-46) that occurs after the effective date of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), the per pupil amount shall be inflated by the CPI. Thereafter, the per pupil amounts shall be established pursuant to the provisions of section 4 of P.L.2007, c.260 (C.18A:7F-46).

The commissioner shall review existing programs to establish appropriate per pupil amounts that recognize the higher cost of the post-secondary programs of county vocational school districts and consolidated county college programs. The commissioner shall consult with the Secretary of Higher Education in the review of existing consolidated county college programs.

4. (New section) The Commissioner of Education, in consultation with the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development, shall identify funding providing for employment training programs that may be used to support an approved adult high school, a post-graduate program, and an approved post-secondary program of a county vocational school district or a consolidated county college program.

5. Section 4 of P.L.2007, c.260 (C.18A:7F-46) is amended to read as follows:

4. a. The State Board of Education shall review and update the core curriculum content standards every five years. The standards shall ensure that all children are provided the educational opportunity needed to equip them for the role of citizen and labor market competitor.

The Commissioner of Education shall develop and establish, through the report issued pursuant to subsection b. of this section, efficiency standards which define the types of programs, services, activities, and materials necessary to achieve a thorough and efficient education.

b. By September 1 of 2010 and by September 1 every three years thereafter, the Governor, after consultation with the commissioner, shall recommend to the Legislature through the issuance of the Educational Adequacy Report for the three school years to which the report is applicable:

(1) the base per pupil amount based upon the core curriculum content standards established pursuant to subsection a. of this section;

(2) the per pupil amounts for full-day preschool;

(3) the weights for grade level, county vocational school districts, at-risk pupils, bilingual pupils, and combination pupils;

(4) the cost coefficients for security aid and transportation aid;

(5) the State average classification rate for general special education services pupils and for speech-only pupils;

(6) the excess cost for general special education services pupils and for speech-only pupils; [and]

(7) the extraordinary special education aid thresholds ;

(8) the per pupil amount for approved adult high schools and post-graduate programs;

(9) the per pupil amount for full-time post-secondary programs of county vocational school districts; and

(10) the per pupil amount for consolidated county college programs.

The Governor shall consult with the Secretary of Higher Education prior to recommending a per pupil amount for consolidated county college programs.

The base per pupil amount, the per pupil amounts for full-day preschool, the excess costs for general special education services pupils and for speech-only pupils, and the cost-coefficients for security aid and transportation aid shall be adjusted by the CPI for each of the two school years following the first school year to which the report is applicable.

The amounts shall be deemed approved for the three successive fiscal years beginning from the subsequent July 1, unless between the date of transmittal and the subsequent November 30, the Legislature adopts a concurrent resolution stating that the Legislature is not in agreement with all or any specific part of the report. The concurrent resolution shall advise the Governor of the Legislature's specific objections to the report and shall direct the commissioner to submit to the Legislature a revised report which responds to those objections by January 1.

(cf: P.L.2007, c.260, s.4)

6. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill provides State school aid to school districts and certain county colleges that provide adult education programs. Under the bill, beginning in the 2015-2016 school year, a school district or county college will receive $1,500 per pupil enrolled in an approved adult high school program, post-graduate program, or post-secondary program offered by a county vocational school district or a consolidated county college program. In subsequent school years, until the submission of the next Educational Adequacy Report, the per pupil aid amount will be inflated by the CPI. In the next Educational Adequacy Report (the next report is due on or before September 1, 2016), the bill requires that the Governor recommend per pupil aid amounts for adult high school and post-graduate programs, as well as a per pupil aid amount for post-secondary programs at county vocational school districts and consolidated county college programs that accounts for the higher cost of those programs. The bill defines a consolidated county college program as a non-credit bearing career and technical education program that has been transferred to a county college from a county vocational school district prior to the bill's effective date. This provision would include programs offered by Camden County College and Raritan Valley Community College.