SENATE, No. 2597

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Senator VIN GOPAL

District 11 (Monmouth)

Senator  SHIRLEY K. TURNER

District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)

Co-Sponsored by:

Senator Singleton

SYNOPSIS

     Establishes four-year Career and Technical Education Partnership Grant Program.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As reported by the Senate Education Committee with technical review.

An Act establishing a Career and Technical Education Partnership Grant Program in the Department of Education.

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

     1.    The Commissioner of Education shall develop and administer a four-year Career and Technical Education Partnership Grant Program.  The purpose of the program shall be to award grants to county vocational school districts and other school districts that operate approved career and technical education programs or programs of study, to partner with urban districts, other school districts, county colleges, and other entities to create high-quality career and technical education programs in existing facilities.  The commissioner shall consult with the New Jersey Council of County Vocational Schools and employer representatives regarding the design of the grant program.

     2.    a.     The commissioner shall award grants, within the limit of available State appropriations, to selected county vocational school districts and other school districts that operate approved career and technical education programs or programs of study, to be used to support the development and implementation of a career and technical education program in an existing school or college facility that is not owned or leased by the county vocational school district or the school district that operates an approved career and technical education program or program of study. The commissioner shall determine the amount of each grant awarded under the program and may award multi-year grants.

     b.    A county vocational school district or school district that operates an approved career and technical education program or program of study that wants to apply for a grant shall submit an application to the commissioner. The application shall include:

     (1)  a description of the career and technical education partnership program to be developed with the grant funding;

     (2)  a description of the partnership with the school district, county college, or other entity that will host the program including, but not limited to, the responsibilities of each partner for providing education and support services to students and teacher supervision and professional development;

     (3)  a description of any partnerships with local employers that will support the proposed career and technical education partnership program by advising on curriculum, offering work-based learning opportunities, providing equipment or resources, or other assistance;

     (4)  the number of students that could be accommodated in the career and technical education partnership program over each of the four years of the grant program and in future years;

     (5)  the projected demand for the career and technical education partnership program;

     (6)  an explanation of whether the proposed partnership will replicate an existing approved career and technical education program at the county vocational school or the school district operating an approved career and technical education program or program of study, or if new approval will be sought;

     (7)  the location of the facility in which the partnership program will be located and whether the location is conducive to serving the populations targeted by the career and technical education partnership program;

     (8)  the estimated start-up and initial operational costs of the proposed partnership program, including the cost of any facility repairs or modification, equipment and supplies, curriculum development and materials, and professional salaries;

     (9)  an explanation of why the facilities of the county vocational school district or the school district operating an approved career and technical education program or program of study could not accommodate the new career and technical education program;

     (10)   the plan to sustain the career and technical education partnership program beyond the period of grant funding using other State, federal, and local resources; and

     (11)  any other information that the commissioner deems appropriate.

     3.    The commissioner shall submit a report to the Governor, and the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164
(C.52:14-19.1), four years after the establishment of the Career and Technical Education Partnership Grant Program. The report shall include, but not be limited to, information on the number of grant applicants, the number of grant awards, the number of career and technical education partnership programs established under the grant program, the number of students who completed the career and technical education partnership programs established under the grant program, the costs and any savings realized through the sharing of facilities under the grant program, and a recommendation on the establishment of a permanent source of funding for such career and technical education partnership programs.

     4.    This act shall take effect immediately.