New Jersey-2012-S1499-Introduced

An Act establishing the School District Governance Study Commission.

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

1. a. There is established the School District Governance Study Commission. The commission shall consist of 13 members, including: the Commissioner of Education, or a designee, who shall serve ex officio; two members of the Senate who shall not be of the same political party, appointed by the President of the Senate; two members of the General Assembly who shall not be of the same political party, appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly; and eight public members appointed by the Governor. The eight public members shall include two representatives from academia with an interest in the area of school governance and a representative of each of the following organizations: the New Jersey Education Association; the New Jersey Association of School Business Officials; the New Jersey School Boards Association; the New Jersey Association of School Administrators; the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association; and the New Jersey State Federation of Teachers.

b. The commission shall organize as soon as possible after the appointment of its members and shall elect a chairperson from among its members. The commission shall meet upon the call of the chairperson or of a majority of the commission members.

c. The members of the commission shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for the reasonable expenses necessarily incurred in the performance of their duties within the limit of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the commission for its purposes.

d. The Department of Education shall provide such stenographic, clerical and other administrative assistants, and such professional staff, as the commission requires to carry out its work. The commission shall also be entitled to call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of the employees of any State, county or municipal department, board, bureau, commission or agency as it may require and as may be available to it for its purposes.

e. It shall be the duty of the commission to study the roles and responsibilities of school boards in school governance and to identify means to improve the effectiveness of school boards. In conducting its study the commission shall consider the advisability of the elimination of local school boards and the establishment of an alternate governing structure. The commission shall also examine the systems of school governance utilized in other states.

f. The commission shall issue a final report of its findings and recommendations, including any recommended legislation, to the
Governor and the Legislature no later than six months after its organizational meeting.

2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire 30 days after the submission of the final report.

STATEMENT

This bill establishes the School District Governance Study Commission. The commission will be comprised of 13 members including the Commissioner of Education, ex officio, or a designee, two members of the Senate appointed by the Senate President, two members of the General Assembly appointed by the Speaker, and eight public members appointed by the Governor. The public members will include two representatives from academia with an interest in the area of school governance and a representative of each of the following organizations: the New Jersey Education Association; the New Jersey Association of School Business Officials; the New Jersey School Boards Association; the New Jersey Association of School Administrators; the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association; and the New Jersey State Federation of Teachers.

It will be the duty of the commission to study the roles and responsibilities of school boards in school governance and to identify means to improve the effectiveness of school boards. In conducting its study the commission shall consider the advisability of the elimination of local school boards and the establishment of an alternate governing structure. The commission shall also examine the systems of school governance utilized in other states.

The Department of Education will provide such stenographic, clerical and other administrative assistants, and such professional staff, as the commission requires to carry out its work.

The commission will issue a final report of its findings and recommendations, including any recommended legislation, to the Governor and the Legislature no later than six months after its organizational meeting. The commission will expire 30 days after the submission of the report.