On March 15 2007 Governor Corzine signed into law P.L. 2007 c. 53 which provided for a number of specific restrictions on travel expenditures for school districts and created an expansive new role for Executive County Superintendents. The statute requires each local board of education to adopt a travel policy. NJPSA has been awaiting the final version of the accountability regulations to be issued in order to provide members with a summary and analysis of the new regulations which were originally expected to be issued prior to the start of the 2008-09 school year. At this point it is uncertain when the new regulations will be finalized. Therefore NJPSA is providing this Legal Alert (which also may be viewed at www.njpsa.org) in order to assist NJPSA members in understanding the underlying statutes some flexibility options that may be included in local board of education travel policies and strong protections for NJPSA members’ contracts and collective bargaining agreements. NJPSA has prepared the following attachments (all of which may be viewed on NJPSA’s website – www.njpsa.org) :
- Suggested provisions to include in local board policy related to travel expenditures;
- A summary of protections for existing contracts and collective bargaining agreements;
- A detailed article summarizing the new accountability statute and regulations; and
- A sample board resolution that provides a means for a board to approve attendance at FEA professional development programs; and
- NJPSA testimony regarding the proposed accountability regulations.
Members with questions regarding their legal rights under these new statutory provisions should contact NJPSA’s Legal Department at (609) 860-1200.