Bill Text: NJ S1182 | 2016-2017 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Exempts homeless student or student in resource family home who transfers between school districts after second year of high school from local graduation requirements.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-02-08 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Education Committee [S1182 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2016-S1182-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator DIANE B. ALLEN
District 7 (Burlington)
SYNOPSIS
Exempts homeless student or student in resource family home who transfers between school districts after second year of high school from local graduation requirements.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning high school graduation requirements for certain students and supplementing chapter 7C of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. Notwithstanding the provisions of any law to the contrary, a school district shall exempt a homeless student or a student in a resource family home, who transfers between school districts any time after the completion of the student's second year of high school, from all local high school graduation requirements that exceed the State graduation requirements, unless the school district finds that the student is reasonably able to complete the school district's local graduation requirements in time to graduate from high school by the end of the student's fourth year of high school.
b. In the event that a school district determines that a homeless student or a student in a resource family home is reasonably able to complete the school district's local graduation requirements within the student's fifth year of high school, the school district shall:
(1) inform the student and the person holding the right to make educational decisions for the student of the option to remain in high school for a fifth year to complete the district's local graduation requirements;
(2) inform the student and the person holding the right to make educational decisions for the student on how remaining in school for a fifth year to complete the district's local graduation requirements will affect the student's ability to gain admission to a postsecondary educational institution; and
(3) allow the student to stay in high school for a fifth year to complete the district's local graduation requirements upon agreement with the student, if the student is 18 years of age or older, or with the person holding the right to make educational decisions for the student if the student is under the age of 18 years.
c. To determine whether a homeless student or a student in a resource family home is in the third or fourth year of high school, the school district shall use either the number of credits the student has earned to the date of the transfer or the length of the student's school enrollment, whichever will qualify the student for an exemption.
d. Within 30 days of the date that a homeless student who may qualify for the exemption from local high school graduation requirements pursuant to subsection a. of this section transfers into a school district, the school district shall notify the student or the person holding the right to make educational decisions for the student of the availability of the exemption and whether the student qualifies for the exemption.
e. Within 30 days of the date that a student in a resource family home who may qualify for an exemption from local high school graduation requirements pursuant to subsection a. of this section transfers to another school district, the school district shall notify the student or the person holding the right to make educational decisions for the student, and the student's caseworker with the Division of Child Protection and Permanency in the Department of Children and Families, of the availability of the exemption and whether the student qualifies for the exemption.
f. In the event that a homeless student or a student in a resource family home is exempted from a school district's local high school graduation requirements, and completes the State graduation requirements before the end of the fourth year in high school, and the student would otherwise be entitled to remain in attendance in the high school, the school district shall not require or request the student to graduate prior to the end of the fourth year of high school.
g. In the event that a homeless student or a student in a resource family home is exempted from the school district's local high school graduation requirements, the school district shall notify the student or the person holding the right to make educational decisions for the student how any of the requirements that are waived will affect the student's ability to gain admission to a postsecondary educational institution.
h. A homeless student, or a student in a resource family home, who is eligible for the exemption and who would otherwise be entitled to remain enrolled in the school district, shall not be required to accept the exemption or be denied enrollment in, or the ability to complete, courses for which he is otherwise eligible, including courses necessary to attend an institution of higher education, regardless of whether those courses are required to meet Statewide graduation requirements.
i. In the event that a homeless student or a student in a resource family home is not exempted from the school district's local high school graduation requirements, or has previously declined the exemption, a school district shall exempt the student at any time if an exemption is requested by the student and the student qualifies for the exemption.
j. In the event that a homeless student or a student in a resource family home is exempted from the school district's local high school graduation requirements, the school district shall not revoke the exemption.
k. In the event that a student in a resource family home is exempted from local school district high school graduation requirements, the exemption shall continue to apply after the termination of the court's jurisdiction over the student while he is enrolled in the school district or if the student transfers to another school district.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires a school district to exempt a homeless student or a student in a resource family home, who transfers between school districts any time after the completion of the student's second year of high school from any local school district high school graduation requirements that exceed the State graduation requirements, unless the school district finds that the student is reasonably able to complete the local graduation requirements in time to graduate from high school by the end of the student's fourth year of high school.
Under the bill, in the event that a school district determines that such a student is reasonably able to complete the school district's graduation requirements within the student's fifth year of high school, the school district will:
· inform the student and the person holding the right to make educational decisions for the student of the option to remain in high school for a fifth year to complete the district's local graduation requirements;
· inform the student and the person holding the right to make educational decisions for the student on how remaining in school for a fifth year to complete the district's local graduation requirements will affect the student's ability to gain admission to a postsecondary educational institution; and
· allow the student to stay in high school for a fifth year to complete the district's local graduation requirements upon agreement with the student, if the student is 18 years of age or older, or with the person holding the right to make educational decisions for the student if the student is under the age of 18 years.
The bill provides that, to determine whether a homeless student or a student in a resource family home is in the third or fourth year of high school, the school district will use either the number of credits the student has earned to the date of the transfer or the length of the student's school enrollment, whichever will qualify the student for an exemption.
