LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ESTIMATE
ASSEMBLY, No. 5576
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
220th LEGISLATURE
DATED: JUNE 26, 2023
SUMMARY
Synopsis: Establishes Office of Community Schools; appropriates $10 million.
Type of Impact: Annual State expenditure increase.
Agencies Affected: Department of Education.
Office of Legislative Services Estimate
Fiscal Impact Year 1 Subsequent Years
State Cost Increase Up to $10 million Indeterminate
 The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) concludes that this bill would result in a State
expenditure increase of up to $10 million in the first year the bill is in effect and that the
continued cost to maintain the Office of Community Schools during subsequent years is
indeterminate.
 The bill provides a $10 million appropriation to the Department of Education, of which $2
million will be appropriated from the General Fund and $8 million, to the extent permitted by
federal law, will be appropriated from funds allocated to the State from the State’s flexible
$6.24 billion federal Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund grant under the American Rescue
Plan Act of 2021.
BILL DESCRIPTION
This bill establishes the Office of Community Schools in the Department of Education and
makes an appropriation of $10 million. The purpose of the office is to address student needs
through community-based educational, developmental, family, health, and other comprehensive
services.
The duties of the Office of Community Schools include: (a) providing training and support
for public schools interested in adopting community school strategies; (b) increasing the
knowledge and skills of school staff and community partners to aid in the implementation,
management, and sustainability of community schools; (c) providing grants to public schools for
Office of Legislative Services Legislative Budget and Finance Office
State House Annex Phone (609) 847-3105
P.O. Box 068 Fax (609) 777-2442
Trenton, New Jersey 08625 www.njleg.state.nj.us
 FE to A5576
2
the purposes of adopting community school strategies; (d) providing a list of school districts,
renaissance schools, and charter schools that have established community schools; (e) increasing
Statewide capacity to support effective community school strategies; and (f) identifying and
evaluating the needs of community schools in order to provide tailored technical assistance and
professional development opportunities.
The bill appropriates $10 million to the Department of Education, with $2 million appropriated
from the General Fund and $8 million appropriated, to the extent permitted by federal law, from
funds allocated to the State from the federal State Fiscal Recovery Fund, established pursuant to
the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
EXECUTIVE BRANCH
None received.
OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES
The OLS concludes that this bill would result in a State expenditure increase of up to $10
million in the first year the bill is in effect and that the continued cost to maintain the Office of
Community Schools during subsequent years is indeterminate.
The State expenditure increase in subsequent years will be driven by the number of staff needed
to fulfill the responsibilities of the office. Additionally, the responsibilities of the office, which
include providing training and support for public schools interested in adopting community school
strategies and providing grants to public schools for the purposes of adopting community school
strategies, will likely result in increased State expenditures tied to the need to either develop or
identify appropriate training, provide technical assistance and professional development
opportunities, and the cost of the grants provided to public schools.
Section: Education
Analyst: Lauren Lefevre
Associate Counsel
Approved: Thomas Koenig
Legislative Budget and Finance Officer
This legislative fiscal estimate has been produced by the Office of Legislative Services due to the
failure of the Executive Branch to respond to our request for a fiscal note.
This fiscal estimate has been prepared pursuant to P.L.1980, c.67 (C.52:13B-6 et seq.).