Bill > S3531

Introduced Session

Under this bill, every school district, charter school, and renaissance school is required to develop and implement, or in the event that a school district, charter school, or renaissance school currently offers a summer school program expand access to, a summer school program that will be offered during the summer following the 2020-2021 school year and 2021-2022 school year. The summer school program must be made available to students who will attend grades kindergarten through 12 in the school year immediately following the summer school program. The summer school program must provide high-quality learning experiences and instruction to mitigate the effects of learning loss with a focus on language, literacy, mathematics, and social and emotional readiness and will provide additional family support and resources, as applicable, to assist the students participating in the program. Under the bill, a summer school program may include a weekend program option in which students would attend courses of instruction on Saturdays and Sundays. In order to be eligible to participate in a summer school program, the parent or guardian seeking to enroll a student in a summer school program is required to submit a written request for enrollment in the summer school program to the principal or chief administrator of the school in which the student is enrolled or, for a student who will attend kindergarten in the fall, to the principal or chief administrator of the school in which the student is registered to attend kindergarten in the September that immediately follows the summer school program. The written request must be submitted 45 days prior to the start of the summer school program. In the event that a parent or legal guardian registers a student to attend kindergarten less than 45 days prior to the start of the summer school program, the written request for summer school enrollment shall be submitted at the time of registration for admittance into a kindergarten program. Under the bill, a request for enrollment in a summer school program made on behalf of a student with disabilities who receives special education and related services would not be granted unless the request is approved in conjunction with the individualized education program team or 504 coordinator, as applicable, in accordance with all applicable federal and State law. Under the bill, every school district, charter school, and renaissance school is required to submit a report to the Commissioner of Education by January 1 of each school year following the conclusion of the summer school program. The provisions of the bill require the commissioner, after receiving the reports, to submit an annual report to the Governor and to the Legislature on the implementation and effectiveness of the summer school programs. The report must include the commissioner's recommendation on the advisability of continuing the expanded summer school programing. The purpose of this bill is to address the learning loss that has been experienced by students throughout New Jersey as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Teresa Ruiz (D)*,  Shirley Turner (D)*,  Nellie Pou (D),  Troy Singleton (D), 

Referred to Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee (on 05/13/2021)

Official Document