Sponsored by:
Assemblyman ALEX SAUICKIE
District 12 (Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblyman Clifton
SYNOPSIS
Makes supplemental appropriation of $100 million for Stabilization Aid and $20 million for Education Rescue Grant Program in the 2023-2024 school year.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
A Supplement to the annual appropriations act for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, P.L.2023, c. .
Be It Enacted by the Senate and the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. In addition to the amounts appropriated under P.L.2023, c. , the annual appropriations act for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, there is appropriated from the Property Tax Relief Fund the following amount for the purpose specified:
34 DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
30 Educational, Cultural, and Intellectual Development
31 Direct Educational Services and Assistance
STATE AID
03-5120 Miscellaneous Grants-In-Aid .......................... $100,000,000
Total State Aid appropriation,
Direct Educational Services and Assistance $100,000,000
State Aid:
03 Stabilization Aid (PTRF).................. ($100,000,000)
Notwithstanding the provisions of any law or regulation to the contrary, the Commissioner of Education shall award Stabilization Aid grants no later than six weeks following the last day in which school districts may apply for grants.
2. In addition to the amounts appropriated under P.L.2023, c. , the annual appropriations act for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, there is appropriated from the General Fund the following amount for the purpose specified:
34 DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
30 Educational, Cultural, and Intellectual Development
31 Direct Educational Services and Assistance
STATE AID
03-5120 Miscellaneous Grants-In-Aid ............................ $20,000,000
Total State Aid appropriation,
Direct Educational Services and Assistance $20,000,000
State Aid:
03 Education Rescue Grant Program...... ($20,000,000)
The amount hereinabove appropriated for the Education Rescue Grant Program shall be provided to support the costs of rehiring or retaining a teaching staff member, or if it is not possible to rehire the teaching staff member, the costs of hiring a similarly qualified teaching staff member. The proceeds of each grant shall be dedicated to the salaries, not including fringe benefits or other non-monetary compensation, payable to the teaching staff members by the recipient school district. The Commissioner of Education shall award Education Rescue Grant Program grants no later than six weeks following the last day in which school districts may apply for grants.
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill provides a supplemental appropriation of $100 million for Stabilization Aid and $20 million for Education Rescue Grants in the 2023-2024 school year.
Stabilization aid provides supplemental support to school districts experiencing a reduction in State aid or other budgetary imbalance. In applying for stabilization aid, a district is required to submit a written plan detailing how it intends to fund operations in subsequent years without the need for supplemental State aid. The bill provides that the Commissioner of Education is required to award stabilization aid no later than six weeks following the last day in which school districts may apply for grants.
The Education Rescue Grant Program allocates funds to support the costs of rehiring or retaining teaching staff members, or the costs of hiring similarly qualified teaching staff members. The bill provides that the Commissioner of Education is required to award Education Rescue Grants no later than six weeks following the last day in which school districts may apply for grants.
The sponsor believes that the State school funding law as revised under P.L.2018, c.67 (commonly referred to as “S2”) is faulty and, if its implementation continues, will reduce the educational and extracurricular opportunities available to students and cause potentially irreversible damage to many school districts across the State. It is the sponsor’s intent to mitigate, or completely avoid, those effects in the next school year via this bill.