Sponsored by:
Senator ROBERT W. SINGER
District 30 (Monmouth and Ocean)
SYNOPSIS
Makes supplemental appropriation of $3.5 million to provide additional State school aid to Freehold Regional School District.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
A Supplement to the annual appropriations act for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, P.L. , c. .
Be It Enacted by the Senate and the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. In addition to the amounts appropriated under P.L. , c. , the annual appropriations act for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, there is appropriated from the Property Tax Relief Fund the following amount for the purpose specified:
34 DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
30 Educational, Cultural, and Intellectual Development
31 Direct Educational Services and Assistance
STATE AID
03-5120 Miscellaneous Grants-In-Aid................................ $3,500,000
Total State Aid Appropriation,
Direct Educational Services and Assistance .. $3,500,000
State Aid:
03 Freehold Regional School District.......... $3,500,000
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill provides a supplemental appropriation of $3.5 million to the Department of Education to provide additional State school aid to the Freehold Regional School District.
The Freehold Regional School District has been subject to a series of State aid reductions over the past several school years pursuant to the provisions of P.L.2018, c.67 (C.18A:7F-67 et al.), commonly referred to as S2. Since FY 2019, the district has seen a State aid reduction of approximately $20 million. As a result of these continued State aid reductions, the school district has determined that it will no longer be able to provide courtesy busing transportation services beginning in the 2023-2024 school year, for a savings of approximately $3.5 million.
The Freehold Regional School District operates six high schools that educate more than 10,000 students who reside in eight communities. The elimination of courtesy busing services will impact about 30 percent of the students who currently receive transportation services. Under State law, transportation is required to be provided to high school students who live more than 2.5 miles from their school of attendance. Transportation that is provided to students who live less than 2.5 miles is considered courtesy busing. Courtesy busing has been considered essential in the Freehold Regional School District due to the lack of sidewalks in the district and the hazardous conditions faced by students who walk to school. The purpose of the $3.5 million supplemental appropriation provided under this bill is to allow the district to continue to provide courtesy busing transportation.