Bill > A479

Introduced Session

This bill establishes a process for the allocation of emergency aid to school districts that have a single school building that has a significant historic legacy, and the reduction in State aid to that school district may result in the closure of the school building and consequently the loss of that legacy. Under the bill's provisions, upon the submission of an application, the Commissioner of Education will provide emergency aid for the 2021-2022 through 2026-2027 school years to a school district that meets the following criteria:· The school district is located in a municipality listed on the national and State registers of historic places;· The school district is comprised of only one school building that was originally built by the federal government and will revert to the federal government if the school building ceases to operate;· The students enrolled in the school district demonstrate a high level of academic achievement;· The school district demonstrates that without the emergency aid, the district is at risk of closing its school building, and the closure of the building will have a negative impact on the students, the residents of the community at large, and the historic legacy of the community;· The school district is subject to reductions in State aid under P.L.2018, c.67 (C.18A:7F-67 et al.), and those reductions have directly impacted the ability of the school district to continue to operate the school building. The commissioner will review the school district's application and may ask for any additional supporting information and documentation that he deems necessary. If the application and information adequately demonstrates that the school district meets the criteria, the commissioner will provide emergency aid in an amount equal to the school district's reduction in State aid for that budget year. The provision of emergency aid under this bill addresses the fact that some school districts face unique circumstances and that it is in the best interests of the State to recognize and address those circumstances.

Committee Categories

Rob Clifton (R)*,  Bill Spearman (D)*, 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee (on 01/09/2024)

Official Document