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Bill > A710


NJ A710

NJ A710
Requires DOE to release to school district upon request data and software program algorithms used to calculate State school aid.


summary

Introduced
01/13/2026
In Committee
01/13/2026
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead

Introduced Session

2026-2027 Regular Session

Bill Summary

This bill requires the Department of Education to provide to any school district that requests the information, the data for all school districts used to calculate State school aid, including the data necessary to calculate and reconcile all school districts' adequacy budgets, equalization aid, and local shares, and the detaisl of any adjustments made when the calculated local share exceeds the adequacy budget for every such district in the State, and the software program algorithms used by the department to calculate State school aid. The department would be required to provide the software program regardless of whether or not the department considers the software program to be proprietary. Under the bill's provisions, the department would also be required to provide a reconciliation, broken down by district, that demonstrates that total local share plus total equalization aid equals the total of all adequacy budgets Statewide in accordance with sections 10 and 11 of the "School Funding Reform Act of 2008" (SFRA), P.L.2007, c.260. As some school districts grapple with reductions in State school aid under the provisions of P.L.2018 c.67 (C.18A:7F-67 et al.), commonly referred to as S-2, it is only fair that increased transparency on the State school aid calculations be provided to school districts. These school districts need to have the information required for them to determine that the State school aid formula has been calculated correctly and in accordance with the law for all school districts in the State.

AI Summary

This bill requires the Department of Education to release specific data and software program algorithms used to calculate State school aid to any school district that requests it, even if the software is considered proprietary. This includes detailed information on adequacy budgets (the estimated cost of educating students), equalization aid (state funding to help districts with lower local tax bases), and local shares (the amount a district is expected to contribute from local taxes). The bill also mandates the release of adjustments made when a district's local share exceeds its adequacy budget, and a reconciliation report showing that the total local share plus equalization aid equals the total statewide adequacy budgets, as outlined in the "School Funding Reform Act of 2008" (SFRA) and the S-2 law, which has led to some school districts experiencing reductions in state aid. The intent is to provide greater transparency so school districts can verify that State school aid calculations are accurate and in compliance with the law.

Committee Categories

Education

Sponsors (5)

Last Action

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee (on 01/13/2026)

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