The final weeks of June are always a busy time in Trenton. This year is no exception with a flurry of legislation being considered alongside the constitutionally-mandated balanced budget proposal due June 30th. Lawmakers are running up against the clock, as a budget bill has not yet been presented for a committee vote in either house. The NJPSA Government Relations team has been actively representing the interests of principals and supervisors during this hectic time. The following legislation has been considered:
Establishes School Supervisor Mentoring Pilot Program
NJPSA Goal – A-5075/S-3933This legislative session, NJPSA has initiated legislation that creates a three year, voluntary, School Supervisor Mentor Pilot program to support novice school supervisors as they transition from the classroom to a supervisory role. Each first year supervisor in the program will receive the benefit of one year of working with an experienced supervisor mentor on a regular basis. Additionally, peer group support meetings, regular phone contact, best practice discussions and professional learning in relevant topics such as school law, curriculum, evaluation and supervision will be provided during the one year mentorship period. The NJDOE will oversee the program, develop guidelines, work in partnership with the nonprofit organization providing these services and ultimately evaluate the pilot program for potential expansion statewide. The bill contains an appropriation to cover program development, professional learning programs and mentor fees of the novice supervisor.
Status: Favorably released from the Senate and Assembly Education Committees and the Assembly Appropriations Committee. NJPSA Position: Support. Read NJPSA’s testimony here.
NJ Universal Preschool and Kindergarten Act
S-3910/A-5717, the “New Jersey Universal Preschool and Kindergarten Act,” would make various updates to preschool funding, program expansion through a three year grant program and set new kindergarten requirements.
The bill would effectively codify into statute the state’s existing preschool expansion aid program, while also ensuring all elementary school districts offer free, full-day kindergarten to all five-year-old students by the 2029-2030 school year.
Pilot Program Established. Tax Levy Cap Exemption Created.
The bill establishes a three year pilot program for interested districts to apply for preschool expansion grants. Under the bill, a school district first receiving preschool education aid in one of the next three school years and participating in a pilot program established by the commissioner would be allowed to exceed its local tax levy cap by an increase amounting to the local share of preschool education costs. If a district is already providing full-day preschool for three- and four-year-olds, the bill would allow that district to use state-provided preschool education aid for additional purposes designated by the commissioner including summer programs, professional development for preschool staff, preschool facilities improvements and transportation services for preschool. The bill would require districts receiving preschool education aid to obtain commissioner approval prior to implementing any significant redistribution of state-funded preschool seats among district-operated programs, licensed childcare providers, and Head Start programs.
Application Process
The bill details application requirements for NJDOE preschool expansion grants, which would be made eligible to districts that meet certain criteria, including already providing full-day kindergarten. The bill also sets several requirements for districts receiving preschool education aid, including demonstrating due diligence to reach out and consider “mixed delivery” preschool programs (i.e. partnering with licensed childcare providers and Head Starts) and participating in a system of self-assessment.
NOTE for NJPSA Members: The “due diligence” requirement already exists, but new bill language will require documentation of local efforts to reach out to providers in the school district’s “immediate and neighboring communities.” The bill does not define that further and the NJDOE is seeking an expansive interpretation of this phrase.
Steering Committee and Mandatory Subcommittees of practitioners
The bill establishes a Universal Preschool Implementation Steering Committee – with mandatory subcommittees to solicit input from local practitioners – within NJDOE and would require NJDOE to develop a Mixed Delivery Model Preschool Handbook. NJPSA was successful in seeking this amendment to ensure that early childhood professionals are at the table during implementation.
Mandatory Full Day K – Phase-in approach
The bill would also set a kindergarten enrollment birthday deadline of October 1 of that school year and would require districts to provide free full-day kindergarten (or enter into a send-receive relationship for full-day kindergarten) by the beginning of the 2029-2030 school year. A district may modify the kindergarten start date.
NJPSA Position: NJPSA supported the legislation’s goals to continue New Jersey’s strong investment in high quality early childhood programs, support the creation of a pilot program to expand district opportunities to provide this program and the creation of tools and incentives for districts who wish to provide preschool, either in district or through the mixed delivery system. The bill passed out of committee by a vote of 8-2 (Myhre and Auth voting no). Read NJPSA’s testimony here.
Status: The legislation has been amended and favorably released from the education committees of each house. A
Preschool Contract Bidding
A-5780/S-4476 (Reynolds-Jackson/Ruiz) permits awarding of contracts for certain preschool education services by resolution of the board of education and extends the maximum length of preschool education services contracts to three years. The bill also exempts certain contracts awarded for preschool education services to Headstart or private providers from public advertising and bidding requirements. This bill specifically designates preschool education service contracts as within the scope of existing law that allows such an exemption under the Public School Contracts Law. This legislation is being considered in tandem with the NJ Universal Preschool and Kindergarten Act. NJPSA supported this legislation before the Assembly and Senate Education committees.
Status: The bill is on 2nd Reading and can be posted for a vote in the full Assembly and Senate. A-5717 has been favorably released by the Assembly Appropriations Committee and is pending before the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee.
A-5720/S-4440, which would require key boxes at public school buildings with certain exceptions and appropriate $2.5 million for the reimbursement of costs related to installation, has advanced out of the Education Committees in each house. In the wake of the tragic events in Uvalde, various reports have cited access to locked doors as a contributing factor for slow law enforcement response, and recommendations have included requirements for lock boxes. This bill would require each building to install a box, located at an agreed location with law enforcement and meeting certain tamper resistance qualifications, that contains any keys and access devices necessary to get into any room in the building.
NJPSA’s Government Relations team has engaged heavily with the bill’s sponsors and other advocates. As a result, the bill includes a $2.5 million appropriation for districts to be reimbursed, allows districts who have taken equivalent preemptive action to receive an exemption, clarifies the requirements for emergency services access, and no longer includes a previous requirement that paper copies of critical mapping data be included in every box. Unfortunately, the bill does not include a retroactive reimbursement for districts who have already purchased boxes unprompted at this point in time. NJPSA staff continue to engage with the sponsors and legislative leadership on the retroactivity issue. Read NJPSA’s testimony here.
Status: At present, A5720 is referred to the Assembly Appropriations Committee and S4440 is referred to the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee. Neither bill has been scheduled for a hearing in either committee as of this update.
Requires Staff Training in Care of Students with Epilepsy and Seizure Disorders Every Five Years
A-2255/S-2376, which would revise current law concerning the provision of care for students with epilepsy and seizure disorders enrolled in public school to require that all staff employed by a board of education be trained in the care of students with epilepsy and seizure disorders once every five years.
Under “Paul’s Law,” P.L.2019, c.290, the board of education of a school district is required to coordinate the care of students with epilepsy and seizure disorders. Parents or guardians seeking epilepsy or seizure disorder care for a student while at school are required to annually submit to the school nurse a seizure action plan for the student and provide written authorization for the provision of epilepsy or seizure disorder care. The school nurse is then required to develop an individualized health care plan and an individualized emergency health care plan for the student and annually update the plans. In addition, boards of education are required to ensure that all staff, including staff working with school-sponsored programs outside of the regular school day, are trained in the care of students with epilepsy and seizure disorders. However, there is currently no requirement that this training be conducted at regular intervals. This amended bill would require that all school staff undergo training in the care of students with epilepsy and seizure disorders every five years.
Status: This bill passed out of the Assembly Education Committee unanimously on June 16th, and is not on Second Reading in the Assembly. This bill has previously been unanimously passed by the full Senate.
Establishes “New Jersey Out-of-School Time Advisory Commission” to Review Before-School, After-School, and Summer Programs
A-2414 (Quijano)/S-3457 (McKnight) establishes the NJ Out-of-School Time Advisory Commission to review before-school, after-school and summer programs offered in our state. The Commission will have 22 members including the Commissioners of Education, Human Services and Children and Families, legislative appointees and 16 public members including NJPSA. The Commission’s role is to assess the state of out-of-school time programs by reviewing the policies of all relevant state agencies that fund such programs, review existing research and best practices, adopt appropriate statewide standards for the design, implementation and assessment of these programs, explore funding sources, and make recommendation to increase the programs and accountability of this type of program across the state. The Commission’ report is due one year from enactment. NJPSA supported this bill.
Status: The legislation has been favorably released and amended by the education committees of each house and has been referred for appropriations review in those committees in the Senate and General Assembly.
Establishes Chronic Absenteeism Task Force
A-5779 and S-3776, which would establish a task force to examine causes and factors contributing to chronic absenteeism in New Jersey. The task force would be comprised of 20 members of various qualifications. As currently written, two of those seats would be allocated to NJ PSA. The task force would be required to examine and compare chronic absenteeism pre- and post-pandemic; analyze root causes; examine the role of mental health and school climate; research best practices implemented in other states and regions; and develop recommendations. The bill would require a tight six-month timeline for the task force to do its work and issue its report. NJ PSA has been in communication with the sponsors and supported this passage.
Status: S3776 has passed the Senate and both bills are currently on second reading in the Assembly. If posted and passed, the bill would go to the Governor’s desk.
A5492/S3982 (Reynolds-Jackson/Ruiz) modifies the current process for annual IEP meetings to require that certain information be provided to parents at least two business days prior to annual Individualized Education Program (IEP) team meetings. The goal of the bill is to promote greater parent understanding of a student’s progress and greater participation in the IEP meeting by providing a written statement of the student’s current levels of academic and functional performance along with a list of IEP team members who are seeking excusal from the annual meeting, along with their input. The bill also establishes an IEP Improvement Working Group in DOE, which shall include two principals, two directors of special education, two board of education members, two superintendents, parents, parent advocates and child study team members. The mission of the Working Group is to examine practices in other states regarding IEPs and parental roles, state practices in New Jersey, federal or state law restrictions on changes to the IEP process, research and best practices and potential legislative, regulatory, funding or other improvements to the IEP process. NJPSA successfully recommended key amendments to this bill which initially provided for draft IEPs prior to the annual meeting.
Status: The legislation has been passed by the full Senate. It is pending before the General Assembly for a vote for final passage.
A3742, which is intended to incentivize and facilitate the acquisition of healthy foods from local farmers, passed the Assembly Commerce, Economic Development and Agriculture Committee on June 12. It would create a $4.5 million grant program to reimburse districts that qualify and choose to participate. NJ PSA supported its passage and the bill advanced unanimously.
Status: It has been referenced to the Assembly Appropriations Committee for further consideration. Its Senate counterpart, S1637, was referenced to the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee in December and awaits further consideration.
NJPSA will keep you informed of any developments on these bills and on legislative action during this final week of the State Budget process.