Bill > S4861

Introduced Session

This bill requires the executive county superintendent of schools to establish and submit to the Commissioner of Education a consolidation plan to combine all school districts in the county, other than county special services school districts or county vocational school districts. The plan is to recommend the: (1) consolidation of any school district which has a resident enrollment of less than 500 students; and (2) establishment or enlargement of all-purpose regional school districts in the county; or (3) establishment or enlargement of limited purpose regional school districts in the county. The commissioner is required to approve or disapprove the consolidation plan no later than six months after the date of receipt of the plan. If a plan is disapproved, then the commissioner is to provide notice to the executive county superintendent that describes the reasons for the disapproval and provide modifications to the plan. The executive county superintendent is to have 30 days to incorporate the commissioner's modifications and resubmit the updated consolidation plan. Once the consolidation plan is approved by the commissioner, the executive county superintendent is to commission a feasibility study for each proposed all-purpose regional district or limited purpose regional district established or enlarged pursuant to the consolidation plan. The costs of any feasibility study commissioned by this bill are to be borne by the State. The bill includes a list of items that are to be included in the feasibility study. Additionally, the feasibility study is to include assurances that the proposed regionalization: (1) does not, and is not foreseeably likely to, increase or exacerbate the segregation of students by racial, socioeconomic, disability, or English Language Learner status; (2) consolidates school districts that are in close geographic proximity of each other; (3) possesses the potential for improved efficiency and cost savings; (4) possesses the potential to advance an enhanced learning environment for participating districts; (5) coordinates curriculum across schools and grades throughout the proposed all-purpose or limited purpose regional school district; and (6) reflects a documented commitment from the participating districts to make good faith efforts to implement the recommendations of the feasibility study that promote efficiency and quality of education. The bill requires the executive county superintendent to distribute the feasibility study to each constituent school district in the proposed regional school district. Each district is to have an opportunity to review and comment on the feasibility study prior to the executive county superintendent's submittal of the feasibility study to the commissioner. If the feasibility study contains the required assurances, then by July 1 of the fifth full school year following the approval, the proposed all-purpose regional district or limited purpose regional district is to be established or enlarged in accordance with current law governing regional school districts as set forth in chapter 13 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes, other than the requirement for voter approval. The bill further provides that if the feasibility study does not contain the required assurances, then the commissioner is to determine the appropriate consolidation plan for the districts included in the feasibility study, which plan may include sharing administrative or management services between school districts in the county. An all-purpose or limited purpose regional district proposed in the revised plan is be established or enlarged by July 1 of the sixth full school year following the commissioner's determination in accordance with the procedures set forth in chapter 13 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes, other than the requirement for voter approval. Additionally, the bill authorizes the executive county superintendent to periodically review shared services arrangements between a school district and another district, a municipality, the county, or other unit of local government within that county for the provision of administrative, business, purchasing, public or nonpublic pupil transportation, or other school district services.

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Vin Gopal (D)*, 

Senate Education Hearing (10:00:00 12/4/2025 Committee Room 4, 1st Floor, State House Annex, Trenton, NJ) (on 12/04/2025)

Official Document