Bill > A1672

Introduced Session

This bill establishes a 12-member School Opening and School Closing Student Safety Task Force. The task force will be composed of: the Commissioner of Education, or his designee; one member appointed by the President of the Senate and one member appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, both of whom shall be members of the public with demonstrated expertise in issues relating to the work of the task force; and nine public members appointed by the Governor, including one representative from each of the following: the New Jersey Association of School Administrators; the New Jersey Education Association; the American Federation of Teachers New Jersey; the New Jersey School Boards Association; the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association; the New Jersey Charter Schools Association; the Advisory Committee for Nonpublic Schools of the Department of Education; and two parents of students, one enrolled in a public school and one enrolled in a nonpublic school. Under the bill, the task force will assess the safety of students when schools are opening and closing for the school day. The task force will examine issues including, but not limited to: · an evaluation of student-arrival and student-departure practices in New Jersey schools, as well as a review of existing research and best practices, to ensure students: (1) are properly accounted for when being loaded onto and unloaded from their assigned school bus, or being picked up or dropped off by a parent or guardian; and (2) are loaded onto and unloaded from school buses, or a parent's or guardian's vehicle, in areas away from other vehicles or areas that could endanger the physical wellbeing of students; · changes in traffic patterns or congestion associated with school openings and closings and the possible impact on student safety; and · an examination of whether adequate personnel are provided during the opening and closing of the school, including an evaluation of the need for a municipal police presence during student-arrival and student-departure. The bill directs the task force to issue a final report of its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature no later than one year after the task force organizes.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Ralph Caputo (D)*,  Annette Quijano (D)*, 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee (on 01/14/2020)