A4571

An Act concerning transportation aid for preschool students, and amending and supplementing P.L.2007, c.260.

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

1. Section 4 of P.L.2007, c.260 (C.18A:7F-46) is amended to read as follows:

4. a. The State Board of Education shall review and update the core curriculum content standards every five years. The standards shall ensure that all children are provided the educational opportunity needed to equip them for the role of citizen and labor market competitor.

The Commissioner of Education shall develop and establish, through the report issued pursuant to subsection b. of this section, efficiency standards which define the types of programs, services, activities, and materials necessary to achieve a thorough and efficient education.

b. By September 1 of 2010 and by September 1 every three years thereafter, the Governor, after consultation with the commissioner, shall recommend to the Legislature through the issuance of the Educational Adequacy Report for the three school years to which the report is applicable:

(1) the base per pupil amount based upon the core curriculum content standards established pursuant to subsection a. of this section;

(2) the per pupil amounts for full-day preschool;

(3) the weights for grade level, county vocational school districts, at-risk pupils, bilingual pupils, and combination pupils;

(4) the cost coefficients for security aid and transportation aid;

(5) the State average classification rate for general special education services pupils and for speech-only pupils;

(6) the excess cost for general special education services pupils and for speech-only pupils; [and]

(7) the extraordinary special education aid thresholds; and

(8) the Statewide average cost of providing transportation services to preschool students, and any other information needed to implement the formula for preschool transportation aid developed by the commissioner pursuant to section 3 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

The base per pupil amount, the per pupil amounts for full-day preschool, the excess costs for general special education services pupils and for speech-only pupils, and the cost-coefficients for security aid and transportation aid shall be adjusted by the CPI for each of the two school years following the first school year to which the report is applicable.

The amounts shall be deemed approved for the three successive fiscal years beginning from the subsequent July 1, unless between the date of transmittal and the subsequent November 30, the Legislature adopts a concurrent resolution stating that the Legislature is not in agreement with all or any specific part of the report. The concurrent resolution shall advise the Governor of the Legislature's specific objections to the report and shall direct the commissioner to submit to the Legislature a revised report which responds to those objections by January 1.

(cf: P.L.2007, c.260, s.4)

2. Section 15 of P.L.2007, c.260 (C.18A:7F-57) is amended to read as follows:

15. a. Each school district's and county vocational school district's State aid for transportation shall consist of base aid (BA) and an incentive factor (IF) determined as follows:

BA = (BA1 x IF) + BA2

where

BA1 = CP1 x P1+CD1 x P1 x D1;

BA2 = CP2 xP2 + CD2 x P2 x D2;

P1 is the total number of regular education public pupils and regular nonpublic pupils eligible for transportation pursuant to N.J.S.18A:39-1, excluding preschool pupils [except pupils that qualify for free full-day preschool pursuant to section 12 of this act], and [of] special education pupils eligible for transportation pursuant to N.J.S.18A:46-23 with no special transportation requirements, who are resident in the district as of the last school day prior to October 16 of the prebudget year;

D1 is the average home-to-school mileage for P1 pupils;

P2 is the total number of special education pupils eligible for transportation pursuant to N.J.S.18A:46-23 with special transportation requirements who are resident in the district as of the last school day prior to October 16 of the prebudget year;

D2 is the average home-to-school mileage for P2 pupils; and

CP1, CD1, CP2 and CD2 are cost coefficients with values set forth in subsection b. of this section.

IF is the incentive factor, which modifies base aid paid for pupils transported on regular vehicles according to each district's percentile rank in regular vehicle capacity utilization. Students within the district who receive courtesy busing services shall be included in the calculation of the district's regular vehicle capacity utilization if the courtesy busing services are provided to a student who would otherwise be required to walk to and from school along a route designated as a hazardous route by the school district pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1999, c.310 (C.18A:39-1.5). For the 2008-2009 school year, IF = l. The Governor shall submit to the Legislature at least 60 days prior to the FY 2011 budget address proposed transportation incentive factors applicable to the 2010-2011 school year and thereafter along with supporting data. The incentive factors shall be deemed approved by the Legislature unless a concurrent resolution is passed within 60 days of the date of submission.

b. For the 2008-2009 school year, the cost coefficients in subsection a. of this section shall have the following values:

CP1 = $383.88;

CD1 = $10.50;

CP2 = $2,675.77; and

CD2 = $5.10.

The cost coefficients shall be adjusted by the CPI in the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 school years as required pursuant to subsection b. of section 4 of this act. For subsequent school years, the cost coefficients shall be established in the Educational Adequacy Report with the amounts adjusted by the CPI for each of the two school years following the first school year to which the report is applicable.

c. For the 2008-2009 school year each district and county vocational district shall receive State transportation aid in an amount equal to the school district's or county vocational school district's State aid entitlement calculated pursuant to subsections a. and b. of this section multiplied by 81.4876%.

d. Each executive county superintendent of schools shall complete a study of pupil transportation services in the county no later than 18 months after the effective date of P.L.2007, c.260 (C.18A:7F-43 et al.). The purpose of the study shall be to determine ways to provide pupil transportation services in a more cost-effective and efficient manner. The study shall be transmitted upon completion to the Commissioner of Education and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1).

(cf: P.L.2007, c.260, s.15)

3. (New section) a. No later than 30 days following the date of enactment of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), the Commissioner of Education shall determine the Statewide average cost of providing transportation services to preschool students. This cost shall be used by the commissioner to develop a formula to provide preschool transportation aid to school districts, which formula shall be developed and submitted to the Legislature, along with supporting data, no later than 60 days following the date of enactment of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill). The formula shall ensure that a school district receives, at minimum, an amount equal to the average cost of providing transportation to preschool students multiplied by the number of preschool students eligible for transportation services pursuant to N.J.S.18A:39-1.

b. Following the initial determination of the Statewide average cost of providing transportation students to preschool students pursuant to subsection a. of this section, the cost shall be thereafter determined and reported in each issuance of the Educational Adequacy Report developed pursuant to section 4 of P.L.2007, c.260 (C.18A:7F-46), and shall be adjusted by the CPI for each of the two school years following the first school year to which the report is applicable.

4. This act shall take effect immediately and preschool transportation aid established pursuant to section 3 of this act shall first be provided in the first full school year next following the date of enactment.

STATEMENT

This bill establishes funding for transportation services for preschool students throughout the State.

Under the bill, the Commissioner of Education is required, no later than 30 days following enactment, to determine the Statewide average cost of providing transportation services to preschool students. This cost is to be used to provide preschool transportation aid to school districts according to a formula to be developed by the commissioner no later than 60 days following the date of enactment. The commissioner is additionally required to transmit the formula, along with supporting data, to the Legislature. The formula is required to ensure that a school district receives, at minimum, an amount equal to the Statewide average cost of providing transportation to preschool students multiplied by the number of preschool students eligible for transportation services in that district.

Additionally, the bill requires the Statewide average cost of providing transportation services to preschool students to be determined and reported in each issuance of the Educational Adequacy Report. The cost would then be adjusted by the consumer price index (CPI) for each of the two school years following the first school year to which the report is applicable.

Finally, the bill limits the calculation of transportation aid to students in grades kindergarten through 12.