STATE OF NEW JERSEY
220th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2022 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman JOHN DIMAIO
District 23 (Hunterdon, Somerset and Warren)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblyman Peterson
SYNOPSIS
Defines a day in session for purposes of a school district's receipt of State school aid.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning the receipt of State school aid and amending P.L.1996, c.138.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 9 of P.L.1996, c.138 (C.18A:7F-9) is amended to read as follows:
9. In order to receive any State aid pursuant to P.L.2007, c.260 (C.18A:7F-43 et al.), a school district, county vocational school district, or county special services school district shall comply with the rules and standards for the equalization of opportunity which have been or may hereafter be prescribed by law or formulated by the commissioner pursuant to law, including those implementing P.L.1996, c.138 (C.18A:7F-1 et al.) and P.L.2007, c.260 (C.18A:7F-43 et al.) or related to the core curriculum content standards required by P.L.2007, c.260 (C.18A:7F-43 et al.), and shall further comply with any directive issued by the commissioner pursuant to section 6 of P.L.1996, c.138 (C.18A:7F-6). The commissioner is hereby authorized to withhold all or part of a district's State aid for failure to comply with any rule, standard or directive. No State aid shall be paid to any district [which has not provided public school facilities] unless the schools of the district have been in session for at least 180 days during the preceding school year, but the commissioner, for good cause shown, may remit the penalty.
For the purposes of this section, a day in session means a day on which the school is open, students are under the guidance and direction of a teacher engaged in the teaching process, and is not less than six hours; except that the six-hour requirement shall not be applicable to a school that enrolls only kindergarten students.
(cf: P.L.2007, c.260, s.32)
2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall first be applicable to the calculation of State aid for the 2015-2016 school year.
STATEMENT
Under current law, in order to receive its State school aid, a school district must be in session for at least 180 days during the preceding school year. This bill defines a "day in session" as a day on which the school is open, students are under the guidance and direction of a teacher engaged in the teaching process, and is not less than six hours. The bill specifies that the six-hour requirement will not be applicable to a school that enrolls only kindergarten students.
Under current State Board of Education regulations at N.J.A.C.6A:32-8.3(b), a school day consists of not less than four hours.