SENATE BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 4027

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  JUNE 27, 2023

      The Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee reports favorably Senate Bill No. 4027.

     This bill requires the Commissioner of Education to establish a matching grant program to support school districts that use a portion of their eligible funds to increase student instructional time and accelerate student learning.  Eligible funds as defined in the bill are moneys under a school district, charter school, or renaissance school project’s local educational agency subgrant from the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act ESSER Fund, excluding any amount required by the provisions of the ARP Act to be spent on evidence-based learning loss interventions. A district or school would be eligible to apply for funds under the grant program only if the percentage of students in the district or school who are not meeting or partially meeting grade-level expectation increased compared to the 2018-2019 school year. The aggregate amount of funds provided to school districts, charter schools, or renaissance school projects under the bill would not exceed $200 million. Under the bill, the program would be funded from the monies received by the State under the federal ARP Act.

     A school district, charter school, or renaissance school project seeking funds under the program is required to submit an application to the commissioner that is to include certain information enumerated in the bill.  If the commissioner approves the application, the school district will receive a matching grant equal to 50 percent of the amount of the district’s local educational agency federal allotment under the ARP Act that is dedicated to the intervention or program to increase student instructional time and accelerate student learning which has been specified in its application.

FISCAL IMPACT:

      The Office of Legislative Services concludes that this bill would result in an increase in State expenditures of up to $200 million associated with providing matching grants to certain school districts to increase instructional time and accelerate learning.

      A selected school district would receive a matching grant equal to 50 percent of the district’s eligible Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief fund allocation.