Sponsored by:
Senator VINCENT J. POLISTINA
District 2 (Atlantic)
SYNOPSIS
Provides that certain sending school districts will continue to have representation on certain receiving boards of education despite decreases in enrollment numbers.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning boards of education of school districts involved in sending-receiving relationships and supplementing P.L.1995, c.8 (C.18A:38-8.1 et seq.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. A sending school district shall be entitled to continue to qualify for representation on a receiving district board of education in the event that the pupils of the sending district comprise less than the requisite percentage of the total enrollment of the pupils in the grades of the receiving district in which the pupils of the sending district will be enrolled in accordance with section 2 of P.L.1995, c.8 (C:18A:38-8.2), provided that the sending district:
a. is sending pupils pursuant to N.J.S.18A:38-8 to a receiving school district that is entitled to commercial valuation stabilization aid pursuant to section 1 of P.L.2015, c.143 (C.18A:7F-65); and
b. qualified for representation on that receiving district board of education pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1995, c.8 (C:18A:38-8.2) in the 2022-2023 school year.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
Pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1995, c.8 (C:18A:38-8.2), a sending district may qualify for representation on the board of education of a receiving district, if the pupils of the sending district comprise a certain percentage of the total enrollment of the pupils in the grades of the receiving district in which the pupils of the sending district will be enrolled. This bill will permit a sending district that in the 2022-2023 school year qualifies pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1995, c.8 (C.18A:38-8.2) to have a representative on a receiving board of education of a school district that is entitled to commercial valuation stabilization aid to continue to qualify for that representation despite no longer meeting the threshold for the percentage of pupils as set forth in the law. This bill will apply to only one receiving district, the Atlantic City School District. Given the considerable amount of tuition support allocated by the sending districts to the Atlantic City School District, it is crucial for those sending districts to maintain representation on the board of education to ensure appropriate input and oversight regardless of minor fluctuations in enrollment.