The following information was received from the Government Relations department of NJEA.
The legislature is back in session and sent the evaluation task force bill and bills to restore school funding to the governor’s desk. The school funding bills were signed yesterday, May 14.

• A3413/S2082 - Establishes New Jersey Educator Evaluation Review Task Force; clarifies collection of student growth data.
• A4059/S3002 - Requires Commissioner of Education to permit certain school districts losing State school aid to submit budgets after enactment of FY 2025 appropriations act.
• A4161/S3081 - Establishes Stabilized School Budget Aid Grant Program to restore certain portions of State school aid reductions; permits certain school districts to exceed tax levy growth limitation in 2024-2025 school year; appropriates $44.7 million.

In addition to the information on school funding, please take action on funding for our community colleges!

School Aid Saga
As happened last year, state aid numbers were a complete surprise in some districts who found themselves losing much more than expected. There were multiple iterations of legislation to restore funding starting early in April. One bill restored all of the funding; one bill restored two-thirds; districts had to raise the remainder by taxing; they didn’t have to; districts had to use their banked cap; they didn’t; it was $110 million; $71 million; $45 million.

Originally, both houses of the legislature were supposed to vote on the funding bill mid-April, but an early April Senate Budget Committee hearing ended with no action on the bill. Furthermore, the April Senate voting session was canceled, leaving the Assembly to vote on a bill on April 15 with no companion bill moving in the Senate. Supposedly, the school funding bill wasn’t moving without the OPRA bill also moving.

Ongoing conversations and negotiations about the bill continued, with advocates and legislators unsure of the outcomes, or even if they were reading the most current version of the bill. Ultimately, both houses of the legislature and the governor came to an agreement and the bill passed both houses Monday, along with a bill to change deadlines. Both bills were signed yesterday. The funding bill will restore 45% of funding to districts that lost funds this year, with districts that have lost funds when compared to 2020-2021 allowed to raise their tax cap levy above 2%, but no more than 9.9%.
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You can read some articles about the ongoing saga from NJ Spotlight (originator of the term “saga,”) from May 7 and May 14.

Community College funding (and take action!)
Operating aid for New Jersey’s 18 community colleges has been flat. That actually makes it negative, taking inflation into account. Last year, the legislature added an additional $20 million in funding which was not included in this year’s budget. The Secretary of Higher Education appeared before budget committees last week, with some focus on community college funding. Read about it and take action to restore additional funding!

State Budget
The state budget process is ongoing. The legislature did break “budget break” with their April sessions, but budget break is now officially over, with regular legislative business resuming even as budget hearings wrap up. This week the legislature will be hearing revenue updates from the treasurer.
The budget must be approved by July 1, or the state shuts down. Want to know more about how the state budget works? NJ Spotlight did a good piece on how the state budget is made as part of its “Gotta know NJ” series.

OPRA
NJEA ultimately took no position on the OPRA (Open Public Records Act) bill. However, many groups and advocates around the state decried the legislature’s gutting of OPRA and the process.

Schools Development Authority
On April 26, the Joint Committee on the Public Schools heard from the Schools Development Authority about the costs of fixing aging buildings.

Voucher bill
If it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck… A bill to create a tax credit program is like vouchers. Read about it and take action

RESULTS FROM MAY 13
· A2029 - Directs DOE and DOH to develop guidelines for school districts and institutions of higher education concerning student vaping awareness campaigns. (Reported out of committee, 2nd reading in Assembly) Support
· A3413/S2082 - Establishes New Jersey Educator Evaluation Review Task Force; clarifies collection of student growth data. (Passed in both houses and sent to Governor) Support
· A3992 - Increases penalties for certain prohibited sales of tobacco and vapor products. (Reported out of committee with committee amendments, referred to Assembly Commerce Committee) Support
· A4045/S2930 - Makes various changes to process for access to government records; appropriates $10 million. (Passed in both houses and sent to Governor) No position
· A4059/S3002 - Requires Commissioner of Education to permit certain school districts losing State school aid to submit budgets after enactment of FY 2025 appropriations act. (Passed in both houses and sent to Governor) Support
· A4161/S3081 - Establishes Stabilized School Budget Aid Grant Program to restore certain portions of State school aid reductions; permits certain school districts to exceed tax levy growth limitation in 2024-2025 school year; appropriates $44.7 million. (Passed in both houses and sent to Governor) Support
· ACR105/SCR98 - Reconstitutes the "Joint Committee on Economic Justice and Equal Employment Opportunity." (Filed with Secretary of State) Support
· S2531 - Provides police officers may be present at senior residential center or school being used as polling place under certain circumstances; requires school to establish election day security plan. (Passed in Senate) Monitor

RESULTS FROM MAY 9 AND MAY 10
· A4045/S2930 - Makes various changes to process for access to government records; appropriates $10 million. (Reported out of committee with committee amendments, 2nd reading in Assembly and Senate) No position
· A4059/S3002 - Requires Commissioner of Education to permit certain school districts losing State school aid to submit budgets after enactment of FY 2025 appropriations act. (Reported out of committee, 2nd reading in Senate) Support
· A4161/S3081 - Establishes Stabilized School Budget Aid Grant Program to restore certain portions of State school aid reductions; permits certain school districts to exceed tax levy growth limitation in 2024-2025 school year; appropriates $44.7 million. (Reported out of committee with committee amendments/substitute, 2nd reading in Senate) Support
· S1774 - Concerns counseling for children who were either physically present or who may have seen or heard act of domestic violence. (Reported out of committee with committee amendments, 2nd reading in Senate) Support
· S1984 - Requires DOH to evaluate hospital compliance with federal hospital price transparency requirements. (Reported out of committee with committee amendments, Referred to Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee) Support
· S2284 - Establishes Office of Resilience in DCF. (Reported out of committee with committee amendments, Referred to Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee) Monitor

RESULTS FROM MAY 6
· A447 - Authorizes establishment of charter school payment reserve account in school districts. (Reported out of committee with committee amendments, 2nd reading in Assembly) Monitor
· A1669/S1287 - Removes obstacles to teacher certification for certain teachers. (Reported out of committee, 2nd reading in Senate) Support
· A2942 - Alters date by which school districts notify parents of nonpublic school students of eligibility for bus transportation or aid in lieu of payment from August 1 to July 1. (Reported out of committee, 2nd reading in Assembly) Monitor
· A3143 - Removing requirement of service during specified dates or in specified locations, thereby broadening eligibility for certain veterans' benefits. (Reported out of committee, referred to Assembly Appropriations Committee) Support
· A3260 - Directs Department of Agriculture in consultation with DOE, to establish Internet-based school meals application. (Reported out of committee with committee amendments, referred to Assembly Appropriations Committee) No Position
· A3873 - Allows certain public high school student athletes to substitute study hall for physical education during their athletic seasons. (Reported out of committee with committee amendments, 2nd reading in Assembly) Seek Amendments
· A4059/S3002 - Requires Commissioner of Education to permit certain school districts losing State school aid to submit budgets after enactment of FY 2025 appropriations act. (Reported out of committee, Referred to Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee) Support
· A4148 - Requires DOE to develop and distribute informational materials on type 1 diabetes. (Reported out of committee, 2nd reading in Assembly) No Position
· ACR105/SCR98 - Reconstitutes the "Joint Committee on Economic Justice and Equal Employment Opportunity." (Reported out of committee, 2nd reading in Senate) Support
· S323 - Requires MVC to conduct unscheduled surprise inspections of certain school buses. (Reported out of committee, Referred to Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee) Monitor
· S1060 - Requires public schools to develop policy for emergency administration of nasal seizure rescue medication and use of manual vagus nerve stimulators on students with seizure disorders. (For discussion only)
· S1114 - Establishes task force to examine issues and make recommendations concerning youth sports, including abusive coaching, confrontational parents, and bullying of players. (Reported out of committee, Referred to Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee) Support
· S2181 - Eliminates requirement for State residency of public school employees for period of three years. (Reported out of committee, 2nd reading in Senate) Support
· S2919 - Requires employer to provide certain accommodations to employee who is breast feeding. (Reported out of committee, Referred to Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee) Support
· S2945 - Establishes task force to examine school discipline practices including racial disparities and effectiveness. (Reported out of committee with committee amendments, 2nd reading in Senate) Support
· S2970 - Lowers age requirement of compulsory school attendance from six to five years old. (For discussion only)
· S3000 - Permits certain persons to operate Type S school buses. Support. (Reported out of committee with committee amendments, 2nd reading in Senate) Support
· S3156 – Permits boards of education to lease certain school property to federally qualified health centers without bidding. (Reported out of committee, 2nd reading in Senate) No Position
· SJR76 - Designates the second Friday of December of each year as "Paraprofessional and School-Related Personnel (PSRPs) in Our Schools Day" in New Jersey to recognize the contributions of paraprofessionals and school-related personnel. (Reported out of committee with committee amendments, 2nd reading in Senate) Support

Respectfully Submitted,
Donna R. O’Malley

The following information was received from the Government Relations department of NJEA.
The 221st State Legislature was sworn in at the beginning of January and has only met five time since then. However, many committees are having hearings, rather than moving bills out of their respective committees.

The Assembly and Senate Education Committees held a join hearing which lasted over three hours on virtual instruction (A-5874/S-4233). NJEA members, Jennie Paulino from Robbinsville and Theresa Fuller from North Plainfield along with NJEA Government Relations Director, Deborah Cornavaca testified about virtual instruction in their districts. Also testifying were representatives of principals, school boards, superintendents, and the private companies providing virtual instruction. Administrators reported they need virtual instruction due to staffing shortages. Legislators agreed that there is a need for more data on what is happening in our schools. This hyper link provides more information: https://newjerseymonitor.com/2024/02/05/new-jersey-lawmakers-eye-rules-for-remote-instruction/ The bill is currently scheduled for a hearing on February 15th.
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There will also be a hearing on the 15th for bill S-2421 – the Right to Read Bill. What started as a bill to ban book bans, has now become a bill that protects both school and public librarians in the event of challenges to books and other materials. Read here for more info: https://www.njspotlightnews.org/2024/01/sen-andrew-zwicker-book-bans-librarian-harassment-north-hunterdon-high-school-martha-hickson/

The new State Commissioner of Education, Kevin Dehmer, was sworn in on Wednesday, February 6th. Commissioner Dehmer worked for the Department for over 15 years and most recently served as Executive Director of the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University.

At the State BOE meeting, two new members were also sworn in – Mary Bennett and Jeanette Pena. Both women are educators.

Also at the February 6th meeting, the Board heard a presentation from the DOE about its efforts to end the school staffing crisis. The Board asked the DOE for hard data. For more information on the presentation click on this hyper link: https://www.njspotlightnews.org/2024/02/nj-education-dept-working-attract-more-teachers-state-board-members-want-data/

​The Governor’s State budget address is scheduled for February 27th. He has begun to spell out his plans which include a full pension payment and additional state aid for schools. One of his initiatives is to increase literacy. For more information, click on this hyper link: https://www.njspotlightnews.org/2024/01/gov-phil-murphy-state-of-state-address-will-announce-phonics-based-reading-initiative-raise-literacy-levels/

Legislative results from January 25th:
· S787 - Provides supplemental transportation aid to certain districts participating in interdistrict public school choice program. (Reported out of committee, Referred to Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee.)
· S1410 - Eliminates use of census-based funding of special education aid in school funding law. (Reported out of committee, Referred to Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee.)
· S1812 - Establishes requirements concerning methods for determining whether student has specific learning disability under federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. (Reported out of committee with committee amendments, Referred to Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee.)
· S2008 - Establishes Grow Your Own Teacher Loan Redemption Program in Higher Education Student Assistance Authority. (Reported out of committee, Referred to Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee.)
· S2082 - Establishes New Jersey Educator Evaluation Review Task Force; clarifies collection of student growth data. (Reported out of committee with committee substitute, 2nd reading in Senate.)


Results from February 1, 5 & 8:
· A2784 Authorizes school districts that moves its annual school election to November to submit separate proposals for additional spending for budget year and subsequent budget year. (Reported out of committee with committee amendments, 2nd reading in Assembly.)
· A3451 Revises law concerning family leave to extend protection by reducing, over time, employee threshold from 30 employees to five employees in definition of employer. (Reported out of committee, referred to Assembly Appropriations Committee.) Seeking Amendments
· ACR105 Reconstitutes the "Joint Committee on Economic Justice and Equal Employment Opportunity." (Reported out of committee with committee amendments, 2nd reading in Assembly.)
· S198 Prohibits investment by State of pension and annuity funds in, and requires divestment from, 200 largest publicly traded fossil fuel companies. (For discussion only.)
· S2038 Requires public institution of higher education to post certain information on institution's website. (Reported out of committee with committee amendments, 2nd reading in Senate.)
· A3451 - Revises law concerning family leave to extend protection by reducing, over time, employee threshold from 30 employees to five employees in definition of employer. (Reported out of committee, 2nd reading in Assembly) Seeking amendments
· S1425 - Expands culpability requirements for firearms trafficking offenses and violations of regulatory provisions relating to firearms. (Reported out of committee with committee amendments, 2nd reading in Senate) Support
· S2367 - Extends validity of and eliminates issuance fee for temporary instructional certificate issued to military spouse; requires expedited processing of military spouse application for NJ instructional certificate and eliminates fee to obtain certificate. (Reported out of committee, Referred to Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee

Respectfully Submitted,
Donna R. O’Malley
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​On Monday, Jan. 8, both the Senate and General Assembly convened for their final voting sessions of the 2022-2023 legislative session and sent over a dozen education-related measures to the governor. In addition, over the last week, the governor signed into law or conditionally vetoed several other items affecting school districts. A full rundown of recent legislative activity follows below.
Bills Signed Into Law
Grief Instruction S-3330/A-5015 (P.L.2023, c.201) requires the State Board of Education to adopt, and districts to implement, New Jersey Student Learning Standards pertaining to grief in the Comprehensive Health and Physical Education content area at its next required update of the standards. The standards will be included in grades 8 to 12 and would address the physical, emotional, and behavioral symptoms of grief; coping mechanisms; and resources available to students. The New Jersey Department of Education is required to provide districts with age-appropriate resources to support implementation of the standards.
VETeach Pilot Program S-2764/A-4361 (P.L.2023, c.215) establishes the “VETeach Pilot Program” in the New Jersey Department of Education designed to help address the educator shortage by helping facilitate teacher certification for the state’s veterans. Under the pilot program, up to four four-year public institutions of higher education selected by the commissioner of education would enroll in a 36-month teacher preparation program catering to veterans who served in the armed forces on or after Sept. 11, 2001. The program would lead to a baccalaureate degree and completion of the requirements necessary to apply to the NJDOE for a certificate of eligibility with advanced standing in certain endorsement areas. The bill is modeled on legislation that established a similar program at Stockton University in 2012 (P.L.2012, c.2).
Providing School Meal Info to Parents S-530/A-5164 (P.L.2023, c.530) revises the type of information that must be sent to parents or guardians at the beginning of the school year regarding the district’s school meal programs.
Under legislation signed in September 2022 (the “Working Class Families Anti-Hunger Act” P.L.2022, c.104), school districts are required to provide, in paper or electronic format, parents with a school meals application form. P.L.2023, c.530 amends that requirement to specify that the application must be provided as a hard copy. The new law also adds that districts must include a notice that an application to apply for school meal programs may be submitted at any time during the school year and is required to be submitted annually.
In addition to modifying the school meal information that must be provided to parents, the law establishes a new requirement that school districts ensure parents either apply for school meal programs or submit a signed card provided by the district indicating that they have received the application and are not interested in participating. If a district does not receive an application or signed card, the district will be required to make at least one attempt to contact the student’s parent and request that the application or card be submitted. This legislation goes into effect in the 2024-2025 school year.
Emergency Bonding Authority S-1892/A-4501 (P.L.2023, c.211) authorizes Type II school districts without boards of school estimate, excluding those districts that are classified as New Jersey Schools Development Authority districts, to issue bonds to finance costs relating to repairs to school facilities and other furnishings and equipment that were damaged due to a natural disaster. Under the new law, the bonds may be issued without the approval of the voters of the district of a Type II school district without a board of school estimate. The bill requires that a district may only issue bonds if the repairs are deemed to be necessary to provide a thorough and efficient system of education.
Security Drills and Students with Disabilities A-1174/S-2057 (P.L.2023, c.212) requires certain documentation of the needs of students with disabilities during school security drills and emergency situations, as well as in school security plans. The bill also requires staff training on the needs of students with disabilities in emergency planning. More specifically, the bill will require:

• All students and staff to fully participate in each emergency drill conducted to the greatest extent practicable and, when appropriate, utilize procedures for assisting in the rescue of persons unable to use the general means of egress to ensure that participation does not pose a safety risk.
• That school safety and security training provided to school employees under current law address the unique needs of students with disabilities in the event of a fire drill, security drill, or actual emergency. Schools will be required to make employees aware of the anticipated supports – such as those for mobility, medical and communication needs – that will be required for these students, and any services that must be provided under students’ individualized education plans, individualized health care plans and 504 plans.
• That the building security drill guide and training materials developed by the commissioner of education and New Jersey Office of Homeland Security include information on the unique needs of students with disabilities, including protocol for accommodating those students.
• School districts and nonpublic schools to ensure that a student’s unique mobility, sensory, medical, social, communication, emotional, regulatory, and decision-making needs in the event of a fire drill, school security drill, or actual emergency is maintained in the student record. Such a record shall indicate whether or not the student is able to safely and fully participate in drills without additional supports, or if any accommodations are needed.

This bill goes into effect in the 2024-2025 school year. In 2019, the NJSBA participated in a Summit on School Safety convened by the New Jersey Council on Developmental Disabilities, which informed the council’s report, “School Safety Issues Affecting Students with Disabilities: A Call to Action.” That report recommended that schools include all students with disabilities in all school safety drills, and to include the needs of those students in school safety planning.
School Safety and Security Task Force S-3079/A-4977 (P.L.2023, c.2018) establishes a School Safety and Security Task Force “to study and develop recommendations to improve school safety and security, and to ensure a safe learning environment for students and employees.” The task force will consist of 17 members, including representatives of various government agencies, education advocacy groups (including NJSBA), and members of the public with expertise in school security. The task force will be charged with developing recommendations regarding several school security issues, including but not limited to hardening the school perimeter and building entryways; strategies to ensure the needs of students with disabilities are reflected in all areas of emergency planning and response measures; and standards for architectural design for new construction.
Transferring of County College Credits to Meet EPP Requirements A-5417/S-3890 (P.L.2023, c.251) prohibits educator preparation programs from restricting the number of accredited county college professional education credits that may be used to meet the teacher certification requirements of an educator preparation program, except as may be required by the EPP’s accrediting organization. The law also prohibits the NJDOE from restricting the number of accredited county college credits in professional education that can be accepted toward meeting teacher certification requirements, provided that the credits are accepted by an EPP (in April 2023, the State Board of Education adopted amendments to its certification regulations that removed the six-credit limit on courses in professional education completed on the two-year college level). The bill was part of the legislative package spearheaded by Assembly Education Committee Chairwoman Pamela Lampitt to address the ongoing teacher shortage..
QPA Award of Certain Contracts A-5501 (P.L.2023, c.252) permits certain school district contracts to be awarded by a qualified purchasing agent. Specifically, the bill amends public school contracts law to stipulate that a contract having an anticipated value in excess of $17,500, but below the applicable bidding threshold, is not required to be awarded by a board of education and may be awarded by a purchasing agent that holds a qualified purchasing agent certificate.
Bills Sent to Governor on the Final Day of Session
The following bills received final legislative approval on Monday, Jan. 8. As they were passed less than 10 days before the end of the two-year legislative session, as per the state constitution, the governor has only two options: He can sign them into law as is or allow them to expire without acting. This latter action is known as a pocket veto. Since the legislative session has ended, he cannot return them to the Legislature via conditional or absolute veto. He has until Jan. 16 to act on the following education measures:
FAFSA Graduation Requirement A-1181/S-2054 requires students to complete financial aid applications as part of high school graduation requirements. The bill provides that, beginning with the 2023-2024 grade 11 class and for two years thereafter, a board of education or a board of trustees of a charter school shall require a student to complete and submit a financial aid application in a form prescribed by the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority. This requirement would serve as a prerequisite to the student receiving a high school diploma. However, a student would be exempt from this requirement if the student (if at least 18 years of age) or the student’s parent or guardian (if the student is less than 18) submits a waiver form to the school district or charter school. In addition, if the waiver form cannot be reasonably obtained from a parent, the student’s school counselor may authorize the waiver.
The NJSBA testified in opposition to the bill and expressed concerns about imposing a nonacademic requirement to graduate from high school. The NJSBA urged the Legislature to consider a more incentive-based, resource-backed approach to increase financial aid application completion rates. A copy of the NJSBA’s position statement on the bill can be found here.
Mentoring Male Teachers of Color A-3945/S-1660 would establish a three-year, $95,000 “Male Teachers of Color Mentorship Pilot Program.” Under the program, the New Jersey commissioner of education would select 19 male students of color from state higher education institutions to work with 19 male teachers of color from participating schools. In that way, each student would be paired with a current teacher who would serve as the student’s mentor through the candidate’s last year of his educator preparation program and the first two years of the student’s teaching career. The teacher would receive a stipend of $5,000, funded by the state, for each year of participation in the program.
State Review of APSSD Audits A-4396 would prohibit the commissioner of education from issuing an adverse finding, adjustment, or penalty on the annual independent certified audit of an APSSD more than seven years following submission of the audit.
Revisions to School Facilities Law and SDA Operations A-4496 would make various changes to the laws governing school facilities projects and the operations of the New Jersey Schools Development Authority. Since it was last passed by the General Assembly on Dec. 21, the bill has been further amended in part to:

• Remove provisions of the bill requiring school districts to include capital improvement plans in their long-range facilities plans.
• Provide that the SDA may permit the project design of an SDA school district school facilities project to include features that are considered excess costs provided that the design features do not exceed the lesser of 15% of total estimated project costs or $4 million.
• Provide that the governor will appoint certain public members to the SDA board, and may suspend or remove those members, with the recommendation of the Senate president and speaker of the General Assembly.
• Provide that the EDA will work in consultation with the Department of Education in considering the critical need of school facilities project applications submitted under the loan program established by the bill.

Nonpublic School Transportation Consortiums  A-5412/S-3850 would establish a nonpublic school transportation program to provide funding to consortiums of nonpublic schools that will assume responsibility for mandated nonpublic school busing. Under the program, nonpublic schools in one or more counties would be authorized to form a consortium to assume responsibilities from participating school districts to provide transportation to and from the nonpublic schools or aid-in-lieu. If a school district chooses to participate in the voluntary program, the district would disburse to the consortium an amount equal to the aid-in-lieu of transportation amount for each nonpublic school student for whom the school district would otherwise be required to provide transportation or aid-in-lieu. If signed into law, the bill’s provisions will expire three years from its effective date.  Also, the commissioner of education, in consultation with the oversight committee established pursuant to the bill’s provisions, would be required to submit a report to the governor and the Legislature on the implementation of the program.   
Term-Limited Expansion of Free School Meals A-5684 would require school districts and nonpublic schools participating in the National School Lunch Program to provide free lunch, during the 2024-2025 school year, to students who are federally eligible for free or reduced price school lunch, as well as to students who are federally ineligible for free or reduced price school meals, but who have an annual household income of not more than 224 percent of the federal poverty level.  The bill would additionally amend existing law to clarify that both public and nonpublic schools offering school breakfasts to students in the state, pursuant to the federal School Breakfast Program, will be required to provide such breakfasts, free of charge, both to federally eligible students and to students who are federally ineligible for free or reduced price school meals, but who have an annual household income amounting to not less than 186%, and not more than 224%, of the FPL.
The bill would require the state to provide funding to each school district and nonpublic school that participates in the National School Lunch Program, as may be necessary to reimburse the costs associated with the provision of free lunches thereby, in school year 2024-2025, to students who are federally ineligible for such meals, but who satisfy the bill’s expanded, state-level income eligibility requirements for that year.  The bill would further require the Department of Agriculture, in consultation with the Department of Education, to establish a standardized means by which to review the state reimbursement amounts being allocated under the bill, and under the existing Working Class Families Anti-Hunger Act, in order to determine whether, and the extent to which, participating school districts and nonpublic schools are receiving adequate reimbursement, from the state, sufficient to account for each participating school’s actual costs of meal delivery, including, but not limited to, food, labor, and other related costs.
The bill would require each report that is annually submitted, to the governor and Legislature, on the state’s school lunch and breakfast programs to identify, as appropriate, for each participating school district and nonpublic school in the state:  (1) the total number and percentage of students receiving subsidized school meals who have been determined to be, respectively, federally eligible for free school lunch or breakfast, federally eligible for reduced price school lunch or breakfast, income-eligible for free school lunch or breakfast on the basis of state-level income eligibility requirements, or neither categorically eligible nor income-eligible for free or reduced price lunch or breakfast; and (2) the number and percentage of such students who reside, respectively, in low-income families and in middle-income families, as defined under the bill.
The bill would require school districts and nonpublic schools that participate in the National School Lunch Program or the federal School Breakfast Program to take steps to minimize or offset program costs, to the extent that such costs can be minimized or offset without compromising the ability of the district or nonpublic school to comply with minimum nutritional standards and other program requirements.  To facilitate such legally compliant cost minimization activities, the bill would require the Department of Agriculture, in consultation with the Department of Education, to:  (1) monitor, inspect, and oversee school meals programs operating in the state to ensure that school meals served thereunder continue to satisfy minimum nutritional standards; (2) develop and publicize best practices, protocols, and model plans to help participating school districts and nonpublic schools effectively minimize and offset program costs without compromising the nutritional value of meals being served; and (3) work cooperatively with each participating school district and nonpublic school to review the program costs being expended thereby, identify various means and methods by which those program costs can be reduced, curtailed, or eliminated without sacrificing nutritional value or legal compliance, provide relevant financial recommendations, and undertake or recommend other appropriate actions to prevent the state’s school meals programs from becoming overly bloated with unnecessary expenses and from otherwise becoming financially burdensome.
Finally, the bill would require the Office of the Food Security Advocate to establish a Working Group on School Food Security to identify and develop best practices, policies, and plans, and to take other appropriate action, to promote and facilitate the effective functioning of the state’s school meals programs and the expanded provision of free school meals to students in the state.  Within one year after its formation, and on a regular basis thereafter as deemed by the food security advocate to be appropriate, the Working Group on School Food Security would be tasked with:  (1) conducting a study on school food security issues, in accordance with the bill’s provisions, and recommending further State-level action to facilitate the provision of free school meals to enhanced numbers or categories of students in the state; and (2) developing and publishing a plan to facilitate and promote the adoption, by the United States Congress and president, of federal legislation authorizing the nationwide provision of free school meals to all students in the country, and providing federal reimbursement for all such meals served by schools and school districts in the states.
Youth Suicide Prevention A-3526/S-1662 would require the New Jersey Youth Suicide Prevention Advisory Council to prepare a report regarding suicide prevention instruction in public schools. The report would include, but not be limited to:

• Identifying the suicide prevention instruction currently provided to teaching staff members and students.
• Reviewing the effectiveness and sufficiency of such instruction.
• Identifying methods public schools may use to identify students who may be at risk for suicide or self-injury.
• Identifying best practices in public schools for the prevention of youth suicide and self-injury.
• Identifying opportunities to enhance access to mental health treatment in public schools.
• Findings and recommendations, including legislative and regulatory proposals.

In preparing the report, the council will develop a survey to collect data from local school districts, approved private schools for students with disabilities, and charter and renaissance school projects. The council would be required to submit the report to the governor and Legislature within 12 months following enactment of this legislation.
Innovation Dual Enrollment II Pilot Program A-3319 would establish in the Department of Education a three-year Innovation Dual Enrollment II Pilot Program.  The purpose of the program would be to offer participating students in grades nine through 12 a guided start to postsecondary coursework, through the provision of targeted supports and low-cost courses in which students may simultaneously earn high school and college credits.
Under the bill, the commissioner of education would be required to select districts representing each of the southern, central, and northern regions of the state to participate in the program.  The commissioner is required to select districts impacted substantially by the COVID-19 public health crisis which have a high proportion of economically disadvantaged students.  The commissioner is to provide a grant to each of the pilot districts to finance costs associated with offering the pilot program, including the cost of tuition charged to the district under the bill.
The bill requires a school district that wants to participate in the pilot program to submit an application to the commissioner.  The application may include (1) a partnership agreement with an institution of higher education which includes a commitment from the institution of higher education to apply any enrolled student’s credits; (2) a commitment from the school district to apply any credits earned by the students in the Innovation Dual Enrollment II Pilot Program toward the student’s secondary school graduation requirements; (3) a commitment from the school district to provide student support and counseling services necessary to ensure the academic success of participating students; (4) a commitment from the school district to provide free transportation to any courses on the college campus, as needed; and (5) a commitment from the school district to provide program and student data, disaggregated by demographic subgroups, to the department including, but not limited to, data on program enrollment, student completion, college credit attainment, student grades, and post-program college entrance rates.
Under the bill, a school district selected to participate in the pilot program is to require participating students to: (1) enroll in no less than one academic credit at the postsecondary level, and no more than 15 academic credits at the postsecondary level, in each semester; and (2) maintain a 2.0 grade point average for the student’s secondary and postsecondary coursework in order to continue participation in the program.
The bill requires an institution of higher education that enters into a partnership agreement with a participating school to provide a program of six or more academic credits in each semester.  The program is to offer students an opportunity to earn academic credits directly applicable to a credential or degree awarded by the institution of higher education.  The institution is required to waive student fees and charge the partnering district no more than $100 per academic credit for each participating student.  The institution is to provide reports each semester to the district, at a minimum, on the academic progress of the district’s students enrolled in the program.
Also under the bill, a public institution of higher education is required to accept and apply towards an applicable degree program all credits earned by a student during the pilot program established pursuant to this section, in accordance with the institution’s credit transfer policies. An independent institution of higher education may accept the credits earned by a student during the pilot program established pursuant to this section.
The bill also requires the commissioner to submit a report to the governor and the Legislature.  The report is to contain information on the implementation of the pilot program and is to include, but not be limited to, the commissioner’s recommendation on the feasibility of implementing the program on a statewide basis.
The bill requires the department to, in collaboration with the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education, determine allowable uses for funds prior to accepting applications to participate in the program, and is required to describe the allowable uses in a Notice of Grant Opportunity. The department is to, in collaboration with the office, prioritize pilot program investments in school districts that partner with New Jersey institutions of higher education.
Student Civic Engagement S-2304/A-1271 permits, beginning with the 2023-2024 school year, excused absences for students who attend civic events. This bill would permit public school pupils in grades six through 12 one excused absence to attend a civic event each school year. School districts would also be permitted to provide additional excused absences for such purposes. Excused absences taken under this bill would not be reflected on student attendance records. Parents or guardians of pupils who wish to use an excused absence under this bill would be required to provide signed written notice at least five school days in advance of the intended excused absence and such other documentation as the school district deems necessary to prove that the pupil meets the requirements for an excused absence. The bill would require the commissioner of education to provide guidance to districts regarding excused absences for civic events, and the State Board of Education would adopt implementing regulations.
Eliminating April Budget Vote S-4209 would eliminate the required public vote on school budgets below the tax levy growth cap for Type II April districts. The bill would also create start and end dates for board member terms of 1/1-12/31 for November districts and 5/1-4/30 for April districts, rather than terms starting and ending at an organization meeting. The NJSBA successfully advocated for amendments to address concerns that defining specific start and end dates for board member terms could create a gap between term end dates and organization meetings during which a board would not have a full complement of members. These amendments ensure that in a Type II school district, the school board may not conduct a meeting, other than for the organization meeting, between January 1 and the organization date in districts with a November school election and May 1 and the organization date for districts with an April school election. An exception is provided if a meeting is needed in order to deal with a matter of urgency and importance as set forth in the Open Public Meetings Act, and if all newly elected members present are sworn into office prior to conducting business.
Montessori Teacher Certification Pathway S-3172 would establish a pathway to teacher certification for holders of a Montessori teaching credential. Specifically, a person would be eligible for a certificate of eligibility with a preK through grade three endorsement, or an elementary school (K-6)) endorsement, under this route if they:

• Hold a Montessori teaching credential issued by the American Montessori Society, the Association Montessori Internationale, or an institution accredited by the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education.
• Hold a bachelor’s degree in any field from an accredited institution of higher education.
• Meet the applicable test requirements for a certificate of eligibility.

Furthermore, in order to obtain a provisional or standard certificate, the candidate would not have to complete:

• 50 hours of pre-professional experience or credits of preschool through grade three pedagogy.
• 350 hours of credits or coursework after employment if the candidate is seeking an elementary school (kindergarten through grade six) endorsement.
• 24 credits after employment if the candidate is seeking a preschool through grade three endorsement.

Candidates eligible for a certificate of eligibility under this pathway would not be required to complete a state-approved educator preparation program. However, they would have to complete a Montessori teacher preparation program that requires a minimum of 200 academic hours and 400 practicum hours. For five years, or as long as the NJDOE deems necessary, boards of education would be required to report annually to the NJDOE the number of teachers hired by the board who possess a Montessori teaching credential and a certificate of eligibility established by the bill, and NJDOE will be required to conduct a study on this certification pathway.
During committee deliberations on the bill, the NJSBA testified, expressing appreciation for the committee’s continued focus on addressing the educator shortage but noted that the range in teacher preparation standards across different accrediting bodies may cause concern regarding the readiness of these educators to teach in public, non-Montessori school settings.
Youth Disconnection Prevention A-398/S-3080 would establish the position of Youth Disconnection Prevention and Recovery Ombudsperson in the NJDOE and establish the “School Disconnection Prevention Task Force.” The ombudsperson would be appointed by the governor, serve at the pleasure of the governor, and report directly to the commissioner of education. The duties of the ombudsperson would include:

• Collaborating with school districts to develop and implement a statewide strategic plan of action.
• Collaborating with a variety of governmental agencies to address the challenges facing student dropouts.
• Developing best practices consistent with the recommendations of the School Disconnection Prevention Task Force.
• Advising the commissioner on ways to prevent students from disconnecting from school and strategies for reengaging students who have disconnected from school.

The bill would also establish the “School Disconnection Prevention Task Force.” The task force would consist of 25 members including: the Youth Disconnection Prevention and Recovery Ombudsperson, who will serve as the chair of the task force; the commissioners of the Departments of Education, Corrections, Labor and Workforce Development, Human Services, and Children and Families; the secretary of higher education; the executive director of the Juvenile Justice Commission; and 17 members appointed by the governor. The duties of the task force would include:

• Examining current data on disconnected youth.
• Researching programs and initiatives addressing school disconnection.
• Examining possible contributing factors for students leaving school.
• Identifying effective ways to reduce the number of disconnected youth.
• Advising the Youth Disconnection Prevention and Recovery Ombudsperson on the task force’s findings.

The NJSBA supports the bill.
Conditional Vetoes
The following bills passed both houses and were sent to the governor in December but were returned to the Legislature via conditional veto with recommended changes. On Monday, the Senate and Assembly adopted the governor’s recommendations and returned them to his desk for his final signature.
School Audit Delay As reported in NJSBA’s Dec. 12, 2023 School Board Notes article “Legislative Update: Lame Duck Session Continues,” the Legislature first sent A-4011 to the governor’s desk on Dec. 11, 2023. At that time, the bill would have extended the deadlines for completing and filing a school district’s annual audit by two months. On Jan. 8, the governor conditionally-vetoed that bill, the legislature agreed with the governor’s recommendations, and sent the amended bill back to the governor’s desk. As amended to conform with the governor’s conditional veto, the bill would now pilot a temporary, two-year extension of the audit completion/filing deadlines by approximately six weeks. Under the amended bill, the deadlines for completing and filing the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 audits will be pushed back to Jan 10 and Jan. 15 respectively.
Expedited Certification Route for Paraprofessionals As reported in NJSBA’s Jan. 4 School Board Notes article “Legislative Update: Electric School Bus Program Funding and Food Composting Bills Signed; Legislature Sends Several Other Bills to Governor” the Legislature first sent A-5416/S-3883 to the governor’s desk on Dec. 21, 2023. At that time, the bill would have required the New Jersey State Board of Education to authorize an alternate, expedited route to teacher certification for paraprofessionals and instructional assistants. The expedited route would have been required to include a formula for applying direct classroom service to any student teaching requirements, a formula for a GPA waiver, and “a requirement that the school district in which the candidate is currently employed make every reasonable effort to permit the candidate to perform any required student teaching in the school district while, if possible, continuing employment as a paraprofessional or an instructional assistant.”
On Jan. 8, the governor conditionally vetoed the bill, the legislature agreed with the governor’s recommendations, amended the bill accordingly, and sent it back to the governor. In response to concerns expressed by the governor that, contrary to the goal of the bill, “an alternate route as contemplated under this bill may cause significant confusion to prospective candidates in the application process” in part because the NJDOE already expedites certain steps of the certification process for paraprofessionals, and that therefore “[i]nstead, efforts should focus on addressing obstacles facing education support professionals when seeking teaching certification, including by providing supports towards degree attainment,” the amended bill would establish a “paraprofessional educator pathway” rather than an “alternate route” to certification. The pathway would include and expand on provisions contemplated by the initially passed bill for counting certain paraprofessional classroom service towards clinical practice requirements and for encouraging districts to place the candidate in a classroom matching the paraprofessional’s desired endorsement area.
Virtual Instruction ACR-192/SCR-152, a nonbinding concurrent resolution, urges the New Jersey Department of Education to collect data concerning the utilization of virtual or remote instruction in the public schools of the state.
Passed Senate Only
The following measures were approved by the full Senate, but did not receive consideration in the Assembly before the end of the session:
Fire Academy Course Credit S-3901 requires school districts to award students high school graduation credits in health, safety and physical education for completing a county fire academy course under certain circumstances. This bill would permit those students who have completed coursework at a county fire academy to be eligible under Option II to receive health, safety and physical education credits toward graduation based on that experience.
Universal School Meals SCR-121 urges the United States Congress to provide for a permanent universal school meals program.
Passed General Assembly Only
The following measures passed the full General Assembly, but did not receive the approval of the full Senate:
November Election 2nd Questions A-2218 gives November districts the opportunity to ask a second question in one fiscal year but spend the money in a subsequent budget year. The bill, an NJSBA priority set by the May 2023 Delegate Assembly, aids November districts by permitting them the opportunity to implement a program over an entire fiscal year after the approval of a second question, if needed. 
Online School Lead Testing Reporting System A-4128 would require the Department of Education and the Department of Children and Families, within one year after the bill is enacted into law, to establish online reporting systems for schools and child care centers to report lead testing results electronically.
Under the bill’s provisions, each school and child care center that was previously required to test for lead, pursuant to law or regulation, would be required, within 90 days after the DOE and DCF establish the online reporting systems required by the bill, to submit or resubmit the lead testing results, as well as any other required information, via those online reporting systems.  The DOE and the DCF would be required to compile the test results on their respective internet websites for access by the public.
The bill also would require the DOE and the DCF, within two years after the bill is enacted into law and in consultation with the Department of Environmental Protection, to prepare and submit a report to the governor and the Legislature outlining the extent of lead contamination in the drinking water of schools and child care centers, the associated need for assistance with remediation activities, and recommendations for how the state can assist schools and child care centers with remediating lead in drinking water.
Evaluation Review Task Force and Temporary SGO Relief A-5877 would establish the New Jersey Educator Evaluation Review Task Force to study and evaluate the educator evaluation system established pursuant to the TEACHNJ Act and implemented in New Jersey public schools.
The task force is to examine the educator evaluation process, gather data, evaluate the data, and make recommendations concerning the annual evaluation process for teachers, principals, assistant principals, and vice principals established pursuant to the TEACHNJ Act. The task force is to consist of 12 members who have a background in, or special knowledge of, the legal, policy, and administrative aspects of educator evaluation in New Jersey. The members are to include:
(1) one member appointed by the president of the Senate.
(2) one member appointed by the speaker of the General Assembly.
(3) one member appointed by the governor.
(4) three representatives of the New Jersey Education Association, at least two of whom are to be employed as full-time teachers in a public school in the state.
(5) three representatives of the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association, one of whom is to be employed as a principal in a public school in the state and one of whom is to be employed as a vice principal in a public school in the state.
(6) one representative appointed by the New Jersey School Boards Association.
(7) one representative appointed by the New Jersey Association of School Administrators.
(8) one representative appointed by the Garden State Coalition of Schools.
The task force is to consider the law in the current context of the state’s schools, identify areas for improvement, and make any recommendations regarding any appropriate changes or updates to the law or regulations implementing the law. The task force is to issue a final report of its findings and recommendations to the governor and the Legislature no later than July 31, 2024. The department is to make the final report available to the public on its Internet website.
Additionally, the bill clarifies that student growth data used for the purposes of educator evaluations is data collected in the most recent year in which an educator completed student growth objectives. Under the bill, teachers are not to collect new student growth observation data in the 2024-2025 school year, and are instead to use, for the purposes of educator evaluations, existing student growth objective data from the most recent year in which the educator completed student growth objectives. For any teacher in their first year of employment in a district, any teacher without a record of pre-existing student growth objectives, or any non-tenured teacher, the teacher is to set student growth objectives and collect data pertaining to these objectives during the 2024-2025 school year. Beginning in the 2025-2026 school year, school districts are to implement guidelines for the collection of student growth objective data consistent with any law, rule, or regulation enacted as a result of the findings of the task force.
 

​NJ School Board Association
December 19, 2023
Lame Duck Session Continued (download the document)
 
Several legislative committees , including the Senate and Assembly Education committees, met and advanced various measures over the past week that could land on the governor’s desk before the current session ends next month. Below is a summary of recent bills pertaining to local school districts.

Assembly Education Committee (Thursday 10/14)
Postsecondary Transition Year Pilot Program A-3319 would establish a three-year “Twelfth Grade Postsecondary Transition Year Pilot Program” in the New Jersey Department of Education. The program would provide grants to participating districts to offer 12th grade students a guided start to postsecondary coursework.
Districts interested in participating would submit applications to the New Jersey Department of Education, which would select a total of six districts, two in each of the southern, central and northern regions of the state. The bill would require NJDOE to select districts “impacted substantially by the COVID-19 public health crisis, which have a high proportion of economically disadvantaged students and low rates of college enrollment among recent high school graduates.”
Under the program, participating districts would be required to:

• Enter into a partnership agreement with an institution of higher education.
• Enroll students in 6-15 academic credits at the postsecondary level each semester.
• Provide students with support and the counseling services necessary to ensure their academic success.
• Provide program and student data disaggregated by demographic subgroups to the NJDOE.

The 6-15 postsecondary credits that a participating 12th grader takes under this program must include a coherent sequence of courses applicable toward a postsecondary degree or credential and the student’s high school diploma requirements. The partner institution of higher education would be required to waive student fees and charge no more than $100 per credit. Participating students would be required to maintain a 2.0 GPA to stay in the program. The bill also provides that public institutions of higher education must accept these credits and apply them toward an applicable degree program, in accordance with the institution’s credit transfer policies.

The bill next heads to the Assembly Appropriations Committee for further consideration. Its Senate counterpart, S-2076, was approved by the Senate Education Committee in December 2022 and referred to the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee.

VETeach Pilot Program S-2764/A-4361 would establish the “VETeach Pilot Program” in the NJDOE designed to help address the educator shortage by helping facilitate teacher certification for the state’s veterans. Under the pilot program, up to four four-year public institutions of higher education selected by the commissioner of education would enroll, in a 36-month teacher preparation program, veterans who served in the armed forces on or after Sept. 11, 2001. The program would lead to a baccalaureate degree and completion of the requirements necessary to apply to the NJDOE for a certificate of eligibility with advanced standing in certain endorsement areas. The bill is modeled on legislation that established a similar program at Stockton University in 2012 (P.L.2012, c.2). NJSBA supports the bills, which were also approved by the Assembly Appropriations Committee on Dec. 18. The legislation appears to be headed to the governor’s desk.

Grief Instruction S-3330/A-5015 would require the State Board of Education to adopt, and districts to implement, New Jersey Student Learning Standards pertaining to grief in the Comprehensive Health and Physical Education content area at its next required update of the standards. The standards would be included in grades 8 to 12 and would address the physical, emotional, and behavioral symptoms of grief; coping mechanisms; and resources available to students. The New Jersey Department of Education would be required to provide districts with age-appropriate resources to support implementation of the standards. S-3330 was passed by the Senate in May and is scheduled for its final legislative vote before heading to the governor’s desk Dec. 21.

Mental Health Service Guidelines A-5307 would require the NJDOE, in partnership with the New Jersey Department of Human Services and the Department of Children and Families, to develop school district guidelines for providing mental health services to students. The guidelines would reflect the findings of the NJDOE’s “Comprehensive School-Based Mental Health Resource Guide” published in February 2022. In developing the guidelines, NJDOE would be required to seek the input of school district administrators, educators, mental health professionals and other stakeholders. The guidelines would address such topics as establishing sustainable partnerships with community providers, providing culturally sensitive mental health services, and incorporating new technology including, but not limited to, providing mental health services through virtual or remote means. The NJDOE would also be required to create a database of available mental health resource providers throughout the state. Its Senate counterpart, S-3543, was approved by the Senate Education Committee in February 2023. A-5307 is scheduled for a vote in the full Assembly Dec. 21; S-3543 awaits further consideration on the Senate floor.

State Database of Newly Certified Teachers A-5741 would require the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, in collaboration with the NJDOE, to create a database of “novice teachers.”  The bill defines novice teachers as those holding their initial Certificate of Eligibility or Certificate of Eligibility with Advance Standing but who have not yet been issued a provisional certificate (i.e. not yet been hired by a school district) available to school districts (but not to the general public). The database would include, among other information, contact information for the novice teacher and their certification area(s). Novice teachers would be able to opt out of inclusion in the database. The bill would also require the NJDOE to host three job fairs per year – one in each of the northern, central and southern regions of the state – to assist districts in filling staffing vacancies.

Limitations on Contracted Personnel and Virtual or Remote Instruction A-5874 would make significant changes to both (1) school districts’ flexibility to contract for certain personnel, and (2) parameters for the use of virtual or remote instruction.
Contracting: Regarding contracting for personnel, the bill would require boards of education to directly employ any person performing a duty that requires a certificate issued by the State Board of Examiners on or behalf of the board of education, except for certain exceptions outlined in the bill. Exceptions include contracting with the following personnel “to ensure that required programs and services are provided”:

• Substitute teachers.
• Personnel providing instruction in financial, economic, business and entrepreneurial literacy to satisfy graduation requirements.
• Personnel providing educational services to a student who is enrolled in a school other than a public school pursuant to NJDOE regulations.
• Personnel employed by other boards of education providing services under a shared services or joint agreement.
• Personnel providing “Option 2” services.
• Personnel providing special education and related services to a student who is enrolled in an out-of-district placement.

The bill also includes exceptions for certain special education and related service providers, as long as the contracted providers of those services meet certain requirements outlined in the bill.  Approved Private Schools for Students with Disabilities would also be subject to those requirements for contracted providers of the enumerated special education and related services.

Virtual Instruction: Regarding virtual instruction, the bill would establish limits on the circumstances under which a school district could use virtual or remote instruction. In any scenario for which virtual or remote instruction is not expressly permitted by another law, the bill would require that instructional services provided by a school district “shall be delivered through in-person methods.” In other words, the bill’s prohibition on virtual instruction would apply only to those circumstances not contemplated by current virtual instruction laws, such as a teacher appearing virtually to deliver world language instruction to general education students located in their school building. But this would not affect, for example, providing virtual instruction pursuant to a district’s Virtual or Remote Instruction Plan during a public health emergency pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:7F-9, since such virtual instruction is “expressly permitted” by another law.

The bill would require such instruction be delivered in-person, with individual student-by-student level exceptions permitted with the approval of the commissioner of education. The bill specifies that a district would be required to apply separately to the commissioner for each student for whom the district is requesting individualized virtual or remote instruction.
The commissioner, as part of the application process, would be required to provide “any individual currently providing the instructional service sought to be implemented virtually or remotely, and the majority representative of the district’s employees” with a copy of the application; the right to object to or comment on the application; the commissioner’s determination on the application; and the right to appeal the determination.

​In addition to exemptions for virtual instruction expressly permitted by other laws, the bill would provide a general exception for financial, economic, business and entrepreneurial literacy implemented as a graduation requirement, and would allow districts to continue providing virtual “Option 2” experiences.
The NJSBA, alongside other education and business stakeholder groups, testified in both the Assembly and Senate education committees in opposition to the bill. The NJSBA cited, among other concerns, that “local boards of education should have a nonnegotiable, managerial prerogative to enter into subcontracting agreements” and that the bill’s exceptions to its in-person instruction requirements “may not be broad enough to address all of the positions districts have a difficult time filling.” While the Assembly Education Committee approved the bill, the Senate Education Committee held its vote, while indicating that the bill will likely be considered again before the current session ends.

Revised Evaluation Schedule for Tenured Staff A-5877 would establish a revised summative evaluation schedule for tenured teachers, principals, assistant principals and vice-principals. Under the revised schedule, the staff member would not receive a summative evaluation the year following their acquisition of tenure; the first summative evaluation would occur two years following tenure. Thereafter, the staff member’s evaluation schedule would depend on their previous evaluation:

• If an employee receives a rating of highly effective in any summative evaluation, the next summative evaluation would occur three years later.
• If an employee receives a rating of effective, the next summative evaluation would occur either two or three years later, at the discretion of the employee’s supervisor.
• If an employee receives a rating of ineffective or partially effective in any summative evaluation, the employee would receive annual summative evaluations in each of the following two years.
  • The bill would also modify current requirements for filing of inefficiency tenure charges. Under the circumstances for which a superintendent has the option to file a charge of inefficiency – that is, two consecutive partially effective ratings or an ineffective rating followed by a partially effective rating – the bill would provide two additional summative evaluations, rather than one additional summative evaluation, to determine whether a charge of inefficiency must be filed. If the employee is rated partially effective or ineffective in both of the following two years, then the superintendent would be required to file a charge of inefficiency. Current requirements for immediate filing of charges of inefficiency if the employee is rated ineffective or partially effective and then ineffective would remain in place.
  • If the employee is rated ineffective or partially effective, and then effective or highly effective, the employe would continue to receive annual summative evaluations until the employee acquires two consecutive ratings of effective or highly effective, at which point the employee would return to the revised schedules detailed above.

The NJSBA, alongside several other education stakeholder groups, testified in opposition to the bill, citing the importance of the annual summative evaluation process to the quality and support of the teacher workforce, particularly following recent changes to certification requirements such as eliminating edTPA, approval of an alternate CE without a basic skills requirement, and the limited CE/CEAS pilot program.

Senate Education Committee (Thursday 10/14)

Mentoring Teachers of Color A-3945/S-1660 would establish a three-year, $95,000 “Male Teachers of Color Mentorship Pilot Program.” Under the program, the New Jersey commissioner of education would select 19 male students of color from state public higher education institutions to work with 19 male teachers of color from participating schools. In that way, each student would be paired with a current teacher who would serve as the student’s mentor through the candidate’s last year of his educator preparation program and the first two years of the student’s teaching career. The teacher would receive a stipend of $5,000, funded by the state, for each year of participation in the program. A-3945 now heads to the Senate floor for further consideration.

Filling Vacancies on Regional BOEs S-2158 would modify how vacancies on regional school district boards of education are filled under certain circumstances. Specifically, the bill would provide that, in instances where current law requires the filling of a BOE vacancy by a majority vote of the remaining members of the board, for a regional school district the vacancy would instead be filled by a majority vote of the members of the board of education of the constituent district represented by the former board member. The bill next heads to the Senate floor for further consideration. Its Assembly counterpart, A-261, has not yet moved.

Eliminating Census-based Funding of Special Education Aid in SFRA The committee discussed, but did not vote on, S-2425, which would amend the School Funding Reform Act to eliminate the census-based method of estimating special education costs and providing special education aid.

Under the current SFRA, the component of a district’s adequacy budget corresponding to special education costs – and the calculation of a district’s special education categorical aid – are calculated using a census-based method. That method resembles a per-pupil funding approach in that it is based on a per-pupil excess cost figure. However, instead of applying that per-pupil excess cost figure to a district’s actual special education enrollment, it applies the figure to the product of the district’s total enrollment and state average classification rate. In other words, the method provides funding on a “per-pupil” basis, but the number of students it funds is the number that the district “would have” if the district’s classification rate matched the state average classification rate – not the district’s actual special education enrollment. The NJDOE reviews and establishes the per-pupil excess costs and the state average classification rate every three years in its Educational Adequacy Report. Under the current EAR, applicable to fiscal year 2023-2025, the average classification rate is 15.9% and the per-pupil excess cost is $19,524. SFRA funds costs, and the NJDOE calculates these rates, separately for general special education students and speech-only special education students.

S-2425 would amend SFRA to estimate special education costs and calculate special education categorical aid based on a district’s actual special education enrollment, rather than the census-method. Under the bill, the special education formulas would be based on the product of the district’s actual special education enrollment and the same per-pupil excess cost figure used in the current formula.

The NJSBA testified, outlining the potential benefits and challenges of moving toward a special education funding system based on a district’s actual special education enrollment, while noting the limits of providing the same per-pupil amount for each special education student.

Eliminating April Budget Vote S-4209 would eliminate the required public vote on school budgets below the tax levy growth cap for Type II April districts. The bill would also allow November districts to ask a second question at the April election and create start and end dates for board member terms of 1/1-12/31 for November districts and 5/1-4/30 for April districts, rather than terms starting and ending at an organization meeting. The NJSBA supports the bill but is seeking amendments to address concerns that defining specific start and end dates for board member terms could create a gap between term end dates and organization meetings during which a board would not have a full complement of members. The bill now heads to the Senate floor for further consideration; its Assembly counterpart, A-5879, was approved by the Assembly State and Local Government committee Dec. 14 and now awaits further action by the full Assembly.

Assembly State and Local Government Committee (Thursday 12/14 and Monday 12/18)

Emergency Bonding Authority A-4501/S-1892 authorizes Type II school districts without boards of school estimate, excluding those districts that are classified as SDA districts, to issue bonds to finance costs relating to repairs to school facilities and other furnishings and equipment that were damaged due to a natural disaster. Under the bill, the bonds may be issued without the approval of the voters of the district of a Type II school district without a board of school estimate. The bill requires that a district may only issue bonds if the repairs are deemed to be necessary to provide a thorough and efficient system of education.

This legislation was originally introduced in response to the increased incidents of extreme weather, such as Hurricane Ida, to streamline the financing process for school repairs related to natural disasters by permitting the issuance of bonds by school districts, without the need for a referendum. The bill is scheduled for final legislative approval later this week.

Anti-Privatization Initiative A-5430 would establish various procedures and standards regarding the privatization of public services contracts, including those entered into by local boards of education.
Among other provisions, the bill would:

• Allow union representatives of public employees to review privatization proposals prior to the solicitation of bids.
• Require private contractors to pay wages and benefits to their employees that are equal to or exceed wages and benefits paid to their public sector counterparts.
• Require contractors to hire public employees who are displaced from their employment due to the privatization of services.

The NJSBA opposes the legislation and has publicly testified against it on several occasions, along with the New Jersey State League of Municipalities, New Jersey Association of Counties and New Jersey Business and Industry Association. NJSBA argued that this bill will impose costly and burdensome requirements on school districts seeking to get the most efficient use of their finite resources. NJSBA further argued that a 2020 law (P.L.2020, c.79) already establishes various requirements boards of education must follow before entering into subcontracting agreements, while including several protections for district employees, thus making this legislation unnecessary.

This bill was also advanced by the Assembly Appropriations Committee on Monday, Dec. 18 and may now be posted for a Senate floor vote. Its Senate counterpart, S-1350, was approved by the Senate Labor Committee this past June and referred to the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, where it awaits further consideration.

Student Civic Engagement S-2304/A-1271 permits, beginning with the 2023-2024 school year, excused absences for students who attend civic events. This bill would permit public school pupils in grades six through 12 one excused absence to attend a civic event each school year. School districts would also be permitted to provide additional excused absences for such purposes. Excused absences taken under this bill would not be reflected on student attendance records. Parents or guardians of pupils who wish to use an excused absence under this bill would be required to provide signed written notice at least five school days in advance of the intended excused absence and such other documentation as the school district deems necessary to prove that the pupil meets the requirements for an excused absence. The bill would require the commissioner of education to provide guidance to districts regarding excused absences for civic events, and the State Board of Education would adopt implementing regulations. The bill may now be posted for an Assembly floor vote before returning to the Senate, which passed a previous version of the bill. NJSBA supports the legislation.

Senate Labor Committee (Thursday 12/14)

Increasing Workers Comp Fees S-4059 establishes the “21st Century Injured Workers’ Access to Justice Act.” This bill revises the workers’ compensation law to revise the cap on contingency fees to a prevailing party in workers’ compensation matters from 20% to 25%, and it expands the application of the fee to orders for payment of medical and temporary disability benefits on motion and orders approving settlement of any kind. The NJSBA opposes this bill and has joined a broad coalition of business and government groups led by the Insurance Council of New Jersey that is advocating against its passage.

Assembly Appropriations Committee (Monday 12/18)

Administering Seizure Medication A-5336 requires a board of education to develop a policy in accordance with the guidelines established by the Department of Education for the emergency administration of nasal seizure rescue medication and the emergency use of a manual vagus nerve stimulator on a student with a seizure disorder.  Pursuant to the policy, the school nurse is to have the primary responsibility for the administration of nasal seizure rescue medication.  The certified school nurse is required to designate at least two additional employees of the school district who volunteer to administer the nasal seizure rescue medication and use a manual vagus nerve stimulator on a student when the school nurse is not physically present at the scene. The NJSBA is working with the sponsor of the legislation on amendments to ensure that any new requirements regarding care for students with seizure disorders are embedded as smoothly as possible within the framework of existing seizure care requirements, particularly the seizure action plan development process required by “Paul’s Law” (P.L.2019, c.290).

Legislative Update from NJ School Board Association (Download this document)
December 2023
Both the Senate and General Assembly held voting sessions, and several committees also met and advanced a handful of bills affecting local school districts. A summary of State House activity follows below.

Education Bills on the Governor’s Desk
The following pieces of legislation received final legislative approval over the last week and now await action by Gov. Phil Murphy:
Security Drills and Students with Disabilities A-1174/S-2057 would require certain documentation of the needs of students with disabilities during school security drills and emergency situations, as well as in school security plans. The bill also requires staff training on the needs of students with disabilities in emergency planning. More specifically, the bill would require:

• All students and staff to fully participate in each emergency drill conducted to the greatest extent practicable and, when appropriate, utilize procedures for assisting in the rescue of persons unable to use the general means of egress to ensure that participation does not pose a safety risk.
• That school safety and security training provided to school employees under current law address the unique needs of students with disabilities in the event of a fire drill, security drill, or actual emergency. Schools would be required to make employees aware of the anticipated supports – such as those for mobility, medical and communication needs – that will be required for these students, and any services that must be provided under students’ individualized education plans, individualized health care plans and 504 plans.
• That the building security drill guide and training materials developed by the commissioner of education and New Jersey Office of Homeland Security include information on the unique needs of students with disabilities, including protocol for accommodating those students.
• School districts and nonpublic schools to ensure that a student’s unique mobility, sensory, medical, social, communication, emotional, regulatory and decision-making needs in the event of a fire drill, school security drill, or actual emergency is maintained in the student record. Such a record shall indicate whether or not the student is able to safely and fully participate in drills without additional supports, or if any accommodations are needed.

School Audit Delay A-4033/S-2657 would extend the deadlines for completing and filing a school district’s annual audit by two months. The current deadline for completion of the audit (five months following the end of the school year, or Nov. 30) would be extended to Jan. 31; the current deadline for filing of the audit with the New Jersey Department of education (five days after the audit is completed, or Dec. 5) would be extended to Feb. 5. The bill would also specify the deadline for districts to submit an audit summary to the NJDOE as Jan. 15. Throughout the legislative process, the NJSBA has expressed concerns that delaying audit submission could create challenges for districts in completing timely, fiscally responsible budgets by delaying the release of key budget information and resources that rely on audit data, such as the NJDOE’s budget software.

School Safety and Security Task Force S-3079/A-4977 would establish a School Safety and Security Task Force “to study and develop recommendations to improve school safety and security, and to ensure a safe learning environment for students and employees.” The task force would consist of 17 members, including representatives of various government agencies, education advocacy groups (including NJSBA), and members of the public with expertise in school security. The task force would be charged with developing recommendations regarding several school security issues, including but not limited to hardening the school perimeter and building entryways; strategies to ensure the needs of students with disabilities are reflected in all areas of emergency planning and response measures; and standards for architectural design for new construction.

Assembly Voting Session
On Dec. 7, the General Assembly approved the following bill:
Transferring of County College Credits to Meet EPP Requirements A-5417 would prohibit educator preparation programs from restricting the number of accredited county college professional education credits that may be used to meet the teacher certification requirements of an educator preparation program, except as may be required by the EPP’s accrediting organization. The bill would also prohibit the NJDOE from restricting the number of accredited county college credits in professional education that can be accepted toward meeting teacher certification requirements, provided that the credits are accepted by an EPP (in April 2023, the State Board of Education adopted amendments to its certification regulations that removed the six-credit limit on courses in professional education completed on the two-year college level). The bill is part of the legislative package spearheaded by Assembly Education Committee Chairwoman Pamela Lampitt to address the ongoing teacher shortage. The NJSBA supports the package. A-5417 was approved by the Assembly Education Committee in May and by the Assembly Higher Education Committee in November. A-5417 and its Senate counterpart, S-3890, now await further action on the Senate floor.

Senate Voting Session
On Monday, Dec. 11, the Senate held its first voting session since returning from recess and approved the following bills being tracked by NJSBA:
Montessori Teacher Certification Pathway S-3172 would establish a pathway to teacher certification for holders of a Montessori teaching credential. Specifically, a person would be eligible for a certificate of eligibility with a preK through grade three endorsement, or an elementary school (K-6)) endorsement, under this route if they:

• Hold a Montessori teaching credential issued by the American 16 Montessori Society, the Association Montessori Internationale, or an institution accredited by the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education.
• Hold a bachelor’s degree in any field from an accredited institution of higher education.
• Meet the applicable test requirements for a certificate of eligibility.

Furthermore, in order to obtain a provisional or standard certificate, the candidate would not have to complete:

• 50 hours of pre-professional experience or credits of preschool through grade three pedagogy.
• 350 hours of credits or coursework after employment if the candidate is seeking an elementary school (kindergarten through grade six) endorsement.
• 24 credits after employment if the candidate is seeking a preschool through grade three endorsement.

Candidates eligible for a certificate of eligibility under this pathway would not be required to complete a state-approved educator preparation program. However, they would have to complete a Montessori teacher preparation program that requires a minimum of 200 academic hours and 400 practicum hours.

During committee deliberations on the bill, the NJSBA testified, expressing appreciation for the committee’s continued focus on addressing the educator shortage but noted that the range in teacher preparation standards across different accrediting bodies may cause concern regarding the readiness of these educators to teach in public, non-Montessori school settings. The bill next heads over to the Assembly, where its counterpart (A-4689) has not yet moved.

Miscellaneous Committee Activity
November Election 2nd Questions S-4080 gives November districts the opportunity to ask a second question in one fiscal year but spend the money in a subsequent budget year. S-4080, an NJSBA priority set by the May 2023 Delegate Assembly, aids November districts by permitting them the opportunity to implement a program over an entire fiscal year after the approval of a second question, if needed. The bill may now be posted for a Senate floor vote.

Certification for Nonresident Military Spouses A-480/S-3235 would extend the maximum duration of the temporary instructional certificate for nonresident military spouses, first established in 2013, from 360 days (an initial 180-day period, with the option to extend an additional 180 days) to two years (an initial 365-day period, with an option to extend an additional 365 days). The bill would also require the NJDOE to establish procedures to expedite applications for this certificate. The NJSBA supports the bill, which now heads to the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee. A previous version of the bill passed the full Assembly in December 2022.

NJSLS in Racial Discrimination and Social Justice A-2006 would require school districts to include instruction on racial discrimination and social justice in an appropriate place in their middle school curriculum as part of their implementation of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards in social studies. The NJDOE, in consultation with the Amistad Commission, would be required to provide districts age-appropriate sample learning activities and resources to enhance students’ understanding of issues surrounding racial discrimination and social justice. The NJSBA advocated for amendments to ensure the bill references the NJDOE’s periodic standards-review process as the mechanism for implementing this requirement. The bill now heads to the Assembly Education Committee for further consideration.

NJSLS in Anti-Bias Education A-1517 would require the State Board of Education to review and update the New Jersey Student Learning Standards in social studies to ensure the incorporation of age-appropriate anti-bias instruction in grades K-12. That review would occur at the State Board of Education’s next scheduled update of the NJSLS. The bill specifies that anti-bias standards would include such topics as “various dimensions of personal and cultural identity,” “information on how people form implicit and unconscious bias” and “opportunities for students to learn from and about one another and explore ways to address bias and prejudice.” The bill would further require districts to designate an employee to serve as the district’s “chief equity officer or affirmative action officer,” who would be responsible for, among other duties, “supervising and overseeing all school district policies and procedures designed to encourage safe, welcoming, and inclusive environments for all students.” As originally introduced, the bill did not include references to the State Board of Education’s standards-review process or to the option for districts to allow their affirmative action officer to satisfy the personnel requirements of the bill; the NJSBA advocated for amendments to include those provisions, which were incorporated into the bill. The bill now heads to the Assembly Education Committee for further consideration.

NJ School Board Association
Legislative Update
November 2023
(download the document)

n his Nov. 16 keynote address at the League of Municipalities 108th Annual Conference, Gov. Phil Murphy announced the release of fiscal year 2024 applications for three grant opportunities that support school districts in pursuing shared services and regionalization: the School Regionalization Efficiency Program and two grant opportunities under the Local Efficiency Achievement Program.

The deadline for all three grant applications is 5 p.m. on April 15, 2024. Additional information, including application requirements, guidelines, and evaluation criteria, may be found on the programs’ respective websites linked above. School Regionalization Efficiency Program (P.L. 2021, c.402)

Administered by the Division of Local Government Services in the Department of Community Affairs, SREP is designed to offset costs associated with conducting feasibility studies that support the creation of meaningful and implementable plans to form or expand regional school districts. Funds are available to boards of education and governing bodies seeking to conduct a feasibility study; two or more school districts that are in the process of conducting a feasibility study; or two or more school districts that completed a feasibility study on or after Jan. 18, 2020, for which no prior reimbursement was provided, including LEAP grant funds. The fiscal year 2024 budget appropriated $5 million for the SREP program (see DCA’s line item “Regional School District Consolidation Feasibility Studies” on p. 50).

Importantly, SREP allows “overfunded” school districts – those districts that would receive a state aid reduction under the provisions of the 2018 school funding reform law commonly referred to as S-2 – to soften those reductions by stretching them out beyond the schedule set forth in S-2. For example, per N.J.S.A. 18A:7F-68(c)(4), an approved district that opts into this alternative state aid phase-out schedule would receive a state aid reduction of 55% of the district’s “overfunded amount” in fiscal year 2025 instead of the 100% reduction called for by S-2 (N.J.S.A. 18A:7F-68(b)). Under the alternative schedule, a district’s aid would be phased-out to its SFRA funding amount by fiscal year 2029 instead of fiscal year 2025. However, if the approved school district does not regionalize within two years of the SREP application approval, the state aid calculation will revert back to the traditional S-2 schedule.

SREP authorizes three project types: (A) Preliminary approval for an existing limited-purpose regional school district to expand to an all-purpose regional school district, or to form a countywide school district; (B) newly proposed feasibility studies for school district regionalization and those studies in the process of being conducted; and (C) previously conducted school district regionalization studies completed on or after Jan. 18, 2020, for which no prior reimbursement was provided. Across all project types, K-12 regionalization and countywide school district proposals will receive priority. Factors like enrollment, facility utilization, contiguous districts with small enrollment, existing send/receive relationships, administrative staffing, class size, enhancing diversity, debt and contractual obligations, faculty needs, and attrition and other factors will be evaluated. The NJSBA would also emphasize the following noteworthy parameters:
​

• Documenting commitment to regionalization and implementation plans: Applicants must provide an executed regionalization plan and an implementation plan to be eligible for full reimbursement. Projects must reflect a documented commitment from participating boards of education, and municipal governing bodies to make good faith efforts to implement study recommendations and subsequent execution of a regionalization plan.
• Geographic proximity: School districts proposed for consolidation must be in close geographic proximity but need not be immediately contiguous.
• Protections against segregation: Applicants must demonstrate that the proposed regionalization does not, and is not foreseeably likely to, increase or exacerbate the segregation of students by racial, socioeconomic, disability, or English language learner status, as determined by the number and percentage of students enrolled in the school districts seeking to consolidate, or, as applicable, in the school districts from which a school district is seeking to withdraw. Application studies that would increase segregation are not eligible for SREP funding.
• Public school contracts law requirements for consultant contracts: For school districts and governing bodies using a consult to conduct a feasibility study, to qualify for reimbursement, consultant contracts expected to exceed the board of education’s bid threshold must be awarded pursuant to the competitive contracting process (N.J.S.A. 18A:18A-4.1 et seq.), for which the DLGS has approved for use by boards of education for this purpose. The only exception involves consultant contracts with a New Jersey state college, state university, or community college. Boards of education are not required to issue a request for proposals before awarding a consulting contract to a New Jersey state college, state university, or community college. Please note that this exception does not include consultant contracts with any private colleges or universities regardless of nonprofit status, even those located within the state. See Local Finance Notice 2010-3.
• Timeline: Applications are due by 5 p.m., April 15, 2024. Incomplete applications will be rejected and cannot be resubmitted within the same grant cycle. Within 60 days of receipt of an application, DLGS will approve, recommend for denial, or defer action until a future date. Applications recommended for denial will receive written notice, including the reason(s) for denial and appeal process instructions.
• Funding process: All awards are subject to the availability of funds. Upon completion of grant review and selection, DLGS will enter into an agreement with applicants approved for funding. Following execution of that agreement, the grantee can request payment of 50% of the grant award with required documentation submission. The remaining 50% would be paid following approval of the completed study and regionalization implementation plan.

Efficiency Achievement Program
The LEAP provides counties, municipalities, school districts, commissions, authorities and fire districts assistance for the study or implementation of promising shared services projects undertaken pursuant to the Uniform Shared Service and Consolidation Act. The program is available to all New Jersey local government entities. The program is funded through the fiscal year 2024 state budget’s $7.5 million appropriation to DCA for “Shared Services and School District Consolidation Study and Implementation” (p. 56).

LEAP includes two grant opportunities for which school districts, among other local government entities, are eligible to apply: LEAP Challenge Grants and LEAP Implementation Grants. The program also includes a third grant opportunity, the County Coordinator Fellowship Grant, for which only counties are eligible.

Please note that LEAP grants do not authorize approved districts to extend their S-2 state aid reduction schedule; only the SREP program, as detailed above, provides that flexibility.

Challenge Grants
Challenge Grants can be used to support a variety of costs related to investigating, developing and pioneering a new shared service project initiative. Eligible activities include, but are not limited to, enhancing existing regionalization of services; identifying and eliminating duplication and other redundancy of services through greater technical and capital alignment; building community engagement and consensus around the joint provision of services; sharing best practices and innovations with other communities; and investigative study of the potential benefits for a local government shared services or a consolidation.

Up to $150,000 across three grants is available within each county, for a statewide total of $3.15 million.
The deadline to submit Challenge Grant applications is 5 p.m. April 15, 2024. DLGS will evaluate and rank all applications by scope of impact, breadth of collaboration and efficiency generated. Incomplete
applications will not be considered for funding. DLGS will notify applicants of grant awards on or about June 15, 2024. Decisions are final and not subject to appeal.
​
Implementation Grants
LEAP Implementation Grant funds can be used to support a variety of costs related to a new shared service project within two general categories: (a) offsetting year one hard or soft start-up costs incurred as part of implementation of a new shared service initiative; (b) incurred as part of conducting a K-12 Regionalization and Countywide School District consolidation study. This includes, but is not limited to: costs associated with a school consolidation study; rebranding costs; professional services (e.g. legal, architectural, consulting or engineering expenses); new technology or technology conversion costs incurred as part of the equipping of the new shared services program; and training.

A total of $2.775 million statewide is available for Implementation Grants: $2.275 million to offset hard or soft start-up costs related to implementation of a new shared service initiative, and $500,000 for costs associated with regionalization and countywide school district consolidation studies. Implementation support awards shall not exceed $400,000 per project, which may account for up to 75% of implementation expenses incurred. Consolidation study awards may account for up to 100% of the study costs. Priority will be given to K-12 regionalization and countywide school district study proposals.
The deadline to submit Implementation Grant applications is 5 p.m. April 15, 2024. Incomplete applications will not be considered for funding. DLGS will evaluate and rank applications by scope of impact, breadth of collaboration and efficiencies generated. Within 45 days of receipt, DLGS will act on an application, including awarding a grant, recommending denial, or deferring action until a future date. Grant applications decisions are final and not subject to appeal.

In New Jersey, we will be electing/re-electing the entire Legislative Body on November 7th.  NJEA and County Education Associations screen candidates in their particular districts.  Approved candidates agree with NJEA on educational policy and issues that affect students, schools and school employees. 
Please look into the candidates in your District so you can familiarize yourself with them before you vote.  Remember, these are only recommendations, you should vote for who you believe is the best candidate.  For more information, if you are an NJEA member, you can go to the NJEA website, sign in, then go to the Advocacy Tab and scroll down until you reach the link for “Voting for PAC Endorsed Candidates.”  Also located in this area of the website, is a spot for you to help with the elections by making phone calls, sending out postcards, canvassing for your candidates etc.
Also available is a website to find candidates for your local School Boards.  These candidates have been recommended by parents in your community but not endorsed by NJEA or our County EA’s.   This is called the New Jersey Project. Click on this hyperlink:  New
Mail in Ballots have been mailed out and if you are using them, they must be postmarked by, or returned in person, by November 7th.  Other important election dates are listed below.
Important Dates to Remember:
Oct. 28- November 5- Early Voting Period for General Election
Oct. 31 – Nov. 5- Deadline to apply for a Vote-By-Mail Ballot by mail for General Election
Nov. 6 - Deadline for in-person Vote-By-Mail Ballot applications for General Election (by 3 p.m.)
Nov. 7 - General Election
The National Education Association (NEA) is asking for our help to Stop Drastic Cuts to Public Schools through the House Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill. Here are the bullet points and the negative impact this bill would have on education, educators and our students:

• Wipe out as many as 248,000 educator jobs;  
• Cut funding by 80% for the Title I program, which helps our most-vulnerable students; 
• Block President Biden from enacting meaningful reforms to federal student debt programs; and
• Eliminate federal funding for much-needed professional development, class size reduction, educator salaries, and the English Language Learner (ELL) program.  

If you are an NJEA or NEA member (active or retired) you can click on this hyper link and send a message to your legislators. Stop
The New Jersey sick leave bill, A-5060/S-3440, was signed into law on July 3, 2023. The law expands the allowable use of sick days for public school staff.  Under the prior law, the 10 annual statutory sick days were limited to use for your own illness, injury, or disability, or if you needed to quarantine due to your or a household’s member’s exposure to a contagious disease. Now, sick days can still be used for those purposes as well as the following reasons:

• To recover from, or for the diagnoses or treatment of a health condition (mental or physical) or for preventative medical care;
• To care for a family member who is sick, injured, needs diagnosis, treatment, or care of a condition (mental or physical) or needs preventative medical care;
• To care for yourself or a family member who needs assistance due to being a victim of domestic or sexual violence, such as needing medical attention, services, counseling, to relocate, or for legal services or proceedings;
• For bereavement of a family member (up to seven (7) days);
• To attend a child’s school-related conference, meeting, function or other event at the request of a school staff member or a meeting related to the child’s health condition or disability; and
• If a child’s school or daycare is closed by the order of a public official, or due to a state of emergency or public health emergency.

This is great benefit to our members still working in our public schools.
Please remember to vote and support candidates that endorse education and our public schools.
 
Respectfully Submitted,
Donna R. O’Malley
​

Legislative Update
October 2023
 
At the last possible minute, the Federal legislators passed a bill to fund our government until November 17.  There is a lot of political jockeying over this issue and it’s my hope that the legislators understand it is their responsibility to make sure our government has the money it needs to function. Please keep your eyes out for news on these funding issues as I am sure the next 45 days will be full of turmoil in the Senate and Congress.
Here in New Jersey, we will be electing/reelecting the entire Legislative Body.  The candidates that have been endorsed by NJEA here in our area are listed below. These candidate, when screened in their particular counties, agreed with NJEA on educational issues and issues that affect education, students, schools and school employees.  Please look into the candidates in your District so you can familiarize yourself with them before you vote.
Locally NJEA has endorsed the following candidates:
LD #6 James Beach (D) for Senate, for Assembly Pam Lampitt (D), Lou Greenwald (D)
LD # 7 Troy Singleton (D) for Senate, for Assembly Herb Conaway (D), Carol Murphy (D)
LD # 8 Latham Tiver (R) for Senate, for Assembly Brandon Umba (R), Anthony Angelozzi (D)
LD #12 No Senate Endorsement, for Assembly Robert Clifton (R), Alex Sauickie (R)
Mail in Ballots have been mailed out and if you are using them, they must be postmarked or returned in person by November 7th.  Other important election dates are listed below.
Important Dates to Remember:
Oct. 17- Voter Registration Deadline for General Election
Oct. 28- November 5- Early Voting Period for General Election
Oct. 31 – Nov. 5- Deadline to apply for a Vote-By-Mail Ballot by mail for General Election
Nov. 6 - Deadline for in-person Vote-By-Mail Ballot applications for General Election (by 3 p.m.)
Nov. 7 - General Election
 
Respectfully Submitted,
Donna R. O’Malley
​

The purpose of the Legislation Committee is to inform Delta Kappa Gamma members about current or pending issues being brought before the State Legislature or our Federal Congress in regard to children, education and the status of women.
 
Two of the seven purposes of DKG express the need for members to be up-to-date on and to act upon legislation that effects education and educators.
 

• Purpose 4: To initiate, endorse, and support desirable legislation or other suitable endeavors in the interests of education and of women educators.

 

• Purpose 7:  To inform the members of current economic, social, political, and educational issues so that they may participate effectively in a world society.

Download PDFs available:
New Jersey School Boards Association Legislative Update May 23, 2023
Legislative Update (DKG Report from Donna O'Malley)
NJ School Board Legislative Update: May 16, 2023

From NEA:                              
Our schools are the centers of our communities—they should be the safest, healthiest places.  
Students learn best when they’re feeling their best. But our schools are experiencing a mental health crisis which can’t be tackled without more support and resources. 
This Mental Health Month, we’re sharing resources to help students and educators. Check out our updated resource hub for a deep dive on mental health, plus strategies for advocacy.
Educators like you know that we’re facing a mounting crisis. Students’ mental health needs have been rising for years, and the pandemic only made things worse. Now more than ever, students and educators need solutions—that’s why NEA is always advocating for increased support and funding from our lawmakers.  

We are also sharing guides, tools, and more to help educators and families. If we want our schools and our communities to thrive, our students must get the help they need. Take a look at our mental health resources hub to help the educators and students in your life.
The hyperlinks above will take you to the NEA Resource Page where you will find ideas and links for parents and educators as well as a link for union leadership to help with bargaining for better safety in schools.
​

​From NEA:
 
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen announced that Congress must raise or suspend the debt ceiling earlier than expected to avoid a catastrophic default. D-day could come as soon as June 1. 

The Senate Budget Committee held a hearing on H.R. 2811. The title of the hearing tells the story: “The Default on America Act: Blackmail, Brinkmanship, and Billionaire Backroom Deals.” 

The makers of the bill are demanding cuts in K-12 programs equivalent to eliminating 108,000 educators’ jobs, impacting more than 32 million kids. They also want to end student debt relief and impose new work requirements to limit eligibility for Medicaid and SNAP.

HR. 2811 would also slash funding for veterans’ health care, jeopardize public safety, and raise costs for families—even as some legislators separately push for trillions in tax cuts skewed to the wealthy and big corporations. Check out what it would mean in your state.
  
In meetings on Capitol Hill, NEA’s Board of Directors stressed the need to increase—not cut—education funding. They also urged lawmakers to take steps to prevent gun violence, which the overwhelming majority of Americans support, and confirm Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su. 

From NJEA:
NJEA members Jackie Mancinelli and George Kemery from Eastern Education Association testified on Feb. 16 to the Assembly on A-5084, a bill that would expand the state’s family leave act to include grieving the loss of a child due to the death of the child, miscarriage, stillbirth or termination.
In response to the lack of support and resources available to grieving families, Mancinelli and Kemery created a nonprofit called Start Healing Together to help families like theirs. They support educators experiencing pregnancy loss and infertility and they advocate for rights in the workplace, such as the passage of A-5084.
The education profession consists of a 76% female workforce, but current laws often fail to recognize or respect the needs of working women. “My colleague, Jackie, spoke of how her right to paid leave was denied due to ‘not caring for another,’” said Kemery. “Her husband though, under current statutes, would qualify as he would be caring for her. This is an unfortunate truth that needs to be addressed immediately. We are grateful that it is being advocated for by Assemblywoman Speight and the cosponsors of this bill.”
Assemblywoman Speight and cosponsors of A-5084 have put forth the bill in response to the need to support families in New Jersey that are grieving the loss of a child. The bill will also allow leave in the event that an adoption is unsuccessful or a fertility treatment is unsuccessful, especially in cases like intrauterine insemination and assisted reproductive technology. 
Under the “Temporary Disability Benefits Law,” this bill would allow a member to take temporary disability leave benefits up to 21 days following the date of the event which is the reason for bereavement, and up to seven days for events in which the circumstances would otherwise have been covered by disability or family leave.
“Although I carried my son for 8 months, had an emergency C-section delivery, and experienced the postpartum period, the state of New Jersey did not see me as a mother,” said Mancinelli. “In fact, when I asked about paid leave benefits, I was told by a state employee that since I was not caring for another, I was only caring for myself, and I no longer qualified.”
The state of New Jersey is one of just 13 states that offers paid family leave, yet not a single state offers paid leave protection for bereaved parents. New Jersey is working hard to be the safest place in the country to give birth to a baby. However, little is being done for families who are unsuccessful in building their families. The statistics share that 1 in 4 women experience a miscarriage and 1 in 8 couples experience infertility.
Should New Jersey pass the bill, it would be the first state in the Union to codify common sense legislation to protect its mothers and families suffering from pregnancy loss and infertility issues. “I believe that this bill is a foundational step in addressing and protecting this prevalent, yet largely silent health issue.”  said Kemery.
“New Jersey has the chance to be a pioneer and advocate for its most vulnerable constituents.” stated Mancinelli. “I hope that our legislators can recognize how powerful this bill can be for our state.”
Family and Medical Leave for Education Support Professionals
 
Education support professionals shouldn’t have to choose between taking care of themselves and their loved ones, or holding onto their jobs.
Many education support professionals (ESPs) are not eligible for unpaid leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) due to the law’s provisions.  The ESP Family Leave Act would provide them with access to the same FMLA protections that other working families receive. Email members of Congress and ask them to co-sponsor the ESP and School Support Staff Family Leave Act S. 226/H.R. 770
NJEA’s Center for Honesty in Education has been set up to combat disinformation, regressive policies, and dangerous rhetoric in local school districts by giving our association leaders the tools necessary to forge constructive partnerships with parents and other Community stakeholders, keep partisan politics out of our public schools and – above all – ensure that our members can continue to support our students rebound from the pandemic in a safe and inclusive learning environment.  You can learn more about NJEA's Center for Honesty in Education by visiting www.njea.org/edhonesty
 
News from local candidates:
At a Legislative Dinner local legislators talked about school districts who have lost state aid from the S2 bill. Apparently there is transitional aid in the amount of $20 million dollars that is available and our districts should be told to apply for that money to help with their local budgets.
 
Dates to Remember

• May 30- Deadline to apply for a Vote-By-Mail Ballot by mail for Primary Election
• June 5 - Deadline for In-Person Vote-By-Mail Ballot Applications for Primary Election
• (by 3 p.m.)
• June 2 – 4 -Early Voting Period for Primary Election
• June 6 - Primary Election Day
• June 6 - Nomination Petition Filing Deadline for Independent Candidates for General
• Election (by 4 p.m.)
• July 31 - Nomination Petition Filing Deadline for School & Fire District Election Candidates for General Election (by 4 p.m.)
• Sept. 23 - Vote-By-Mail Ballots Mailed for General Election
• Oct. 17- Voter Registration Deadline for General Election
• Oct. 28- November 5- Early Voting Period for General Election
• Oct. 31 – Nov. 5- Deadline to apply for a Vote-By-Mail Ballot by mail for General Election
• Nov. 6 - Deadline for in-person Vote-By-Mail Ballot applications for General Election
• (by 3 p.m.)
• Nov. 7 - General Election

 
Respectfully Submitted,
Donna R. O’Malley

NJEA Legislative Update
Forwarded by: Donna R. O’Malley
March 6, 2023
I received this update this weekend from our Burlington County Retired Education Association.  Information on page 5 is from NEA and various other State sources. Get a hot cup of coffee or tea and read all this important information.
 
What’s going on in Trenton?

  *   STATE BUDGET
  *   MENTAL HEALTH
  *   EDUCATOR SHORTAGE
  *   SDA BILL HELD
  *   ELECTION TRANSPARENCY
  *   PERIOD POVERTY
  *   LEGISLATIVE MUSICAL CHAIRS
Download the PDF to read it all >

New Jersey School Boards Legislative Update
February 28, 2023
Forwarded by Vicki Shoemaker
​The last week has been an incredibly busy one at the State House. The Senate Education Committee convened to consider various proposals aimed at enhancing student mental health, the Assembly Appropriations Committee advanced a handful of education-related bills, including one that would make various changes to state laws governing school facility projects. Lastly, the full Senate and General Assembly both held voting sessions to advance various pieces of legislation relating to PreK-12 education. Download the PDF to keep reading >​

New Jersey School Boards Legislative Update
March 7, 2023
Forwarded by Vicki Shoemaker
Last week, the Task Force on Public School Staff Shortages in New Jersey released a detailed report highlighting its initial recommendations to address teacher and education support professional shortages in school districts throughout the state.
Download the PDF >