ASSEMBLY EDUCATION COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 4307

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  JUNE 6, 2024

     The Assembly Education committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 4307 with committee amendments.

     This bill, as amended by the committee, establishes an exemption to the State residency requirement for certain public school teachers.  An appropriately certified teacher hired through the exemption has two years to establish New Jersey residency.

     The State residency requirement was expanded in 2011 to apply to, with limited exceptions, all public officers and employees in the State, including employees of a school district, or an authority, board, body, agency, commission, or instrumentality of the district. 

     Under the amended bill, a school district or charter school not located in a renaissance school district may request an exemption on the basis of an inability to hire an appropriately certified teacher for a vacant teaching position who complies with the State residency requirement.  A school district or charter school requesting an exemption is required to: certify that the vacant teaching position has been advertised for at least six months; demonstrate good faith efforts to fill the position with a teacher who maintains a principal residence in this State; and submit documentation that the candidate for employment is appropriately certified as a teacher in the State.  If a school district or charter school is granted an exemption, the district or charter school is then permitted to hire the appropriately certified teacher.  The amended bill provides that the person hired is not required to request the exemption.

     Additionally, the amended bill stipulates that any person hired through this exemption is required to establish New Jersey residency within two years of the date of the person’s initial employment.  If the person fails to establish New Jersey residency, the school district or charter school is required to terminate the person’s employment, advertise the vacant teaching position, and seek to hire an appropriately certified teacher who maintains a principal residence in this State.

     The amended bill provides that a charter school located in a renaissance school district is to be subject to the provisions of N.J.S.A.18A:36C-18.

     Finally, the bill requires the Department of Education, in collaboration with the Department of Community Affairs, to develop and implement a program to assist teachers hired through this exemption to establish State residency within two years of the date of the person’s initial employment.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS

      The committee amended the bill to include charter schools not located within a renaissance school district as eligible for an exemption pursuant to the provisions of the bill.