Bill > S2364

Introduced Session

This bill establishes a Commission on Career and Technical Education and creates various initiatives that promote career and technical education programs in the State. Under the bill, the Commission on Career and Technical Education will study and evaluate the availability of high quality secondary career and technical education programs across counties and review the costs, benefits, and challenges associated with the potential expansion of career and technical education programs in the State. The 11-member commission will include: the Commissioner of Education, or a designee; the Director of the Office of Career and Technical Education in the Department of Education; and 9 members appointed by the Governor, including: three superintendents of a county vocational school district upon the recommendation of the New Jersey Council of County Vocational-Technical Schools; one principal of a public school operating a career and technical education program; two teachers employed in a public school career and technical education program; one member upon the recommendation of the New Jersey Education Association; one member from the New Jersey Business and Industry Association; and one member from the New Jersey Council of County Vocational-Technical Schools. The bill also does the following:· grants the right of first refusal to a county vocational school district operating a career and technical education program to purchase or lease at or below fair market value, a closed public school facility or property located in the same county; · requires the principal of a public school with students enrolled in grades 6 through 12 to take specific actions that will promote an interest in and increase awareness of educational opportunities available through career and technical education programs offered by the district, local charter schools, and the county vocational school district;· directs the Department of Education to provide on its website information on best practices in the field of career and technical education;· provides that the Commissioner of Education will give preference to an application for a charter school that proposes to offer an approved career and technical education program that is not duplicative of programs offered in the resident district or county vocational school district; and · provides that the Commissioner of Education will give preference to an application submitted by a proposed choice district under the "Interdistrict Public School Choice Program" that offers an approved career and technical education program that is not duplicative of programs offered in the county vocational school district.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Jim Beach (D)*,  Linda Greenstein (D)*, 

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Education Committee (on 01/29/2024)

Official Document