This bill mandates a second enrollment count for school districts in New Jersey to determine State school aid. Currently, districts report resident enrollment based solely on the count from the last school day prior to October 16. The new requirement will introduce an additional count on the last school day prior to February 2, with the district's resident enrollment for aid purposes being calculated as the average of these two counts. The bill also clarifies that students placed in State facilities will only be counted based on the October 16 enrollment from the prebudget year.

Furthermore, the bill includes specific provisions regarding which students are counted in the enrollment figures. It stipulates that students receiving home instruction, those in shared-time vocational programs, and children of teaching staff members can be included in the counts. Additionally, disabled children aged three to five receiving services will also be counted, while preschool, post-graduate, and post-secondary vocational students will not be included. The bill aims to provide a more accurate representation of student enrollment, thereby impacting the allocation of State aid to school districts.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 18A:7B-2, 18A:7F-33, 18A:4F-45