This bill amends the existing law regarding extraordinary special education costs and transportation for nonpublic school students. It lowers the reimbursement threshold for extraordinary special education aid from $40,000 to $35,000 for students educated in integrated public school programs. The bill also introduces a phased approach to increase the percentage of extraordinary special education aid over five years, starting at 80% in the first year and reaching 100% by the fifth year. Additionally, it modifies the calculation of extraordinary special education aid to ensure that districts receive 90% reimbursement for costs exceeding the new threshold.

Furthermore, the bill mandates that the State will cover the full cost of transportation for eligible nonpublic school students in certain school districts. An eligible school district is defined as one with over 5,000 resident students, where at least 25% of the total students requiring transportation are nonpublic school students. This change aims to alleviate the financial burden on districts that must provide transportation services to a significant number of both public and nonpublic school students, ensuring compliance with state transportation requirements while providing necessary financial support.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 18A:7F-55