Bill > A5310

This bill makes comprehensive changes to New Jersey's school funding law, focusing on enhancing transparency, providing financial stability for school districts, and establishing a task force to review special education funding. Key provisions include requiring the Department of Education to publicly display detailed school aid calculations online, creating a mechanism to limit state aid reductions to no more than 2% of a district's total operating budget, and establishing a Special Education Funding Review Task Force composed of 11 members from various educational organizations. The task force will assess the effectiveness of special education funding, examine potential tier-based funding models, and make recommendations about responding to changes in special education revenues. The bill also modifies existing laws related to how school districts calculate budgets, receive state aid, and handle extraordinary special education expenses. Additionally, the Commissioner of Education will be required to engage stakeholders to review local funding share calculations, state aid predictability, preschool funding methodology, and budget development deadlines. The legislation aims to create more predictable, transparent, and equitable school funding mechanisms while providing additional protections for school districts experiencing potential state aid reductions.

Budget and Finance, Education

https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2024/A5310