This bill mandates a second enrollment count for school districts in New Jersey to determine State school aid, revising the current law that only requires a single count. Specifically, the resident enrollment of a school district will now be calculated as the average of the number of students enrolled on the last school day prior to October 16 and the last school day prior to February 2 of the current school year. The bill outlines the criteria for including students in these counts, such as those enrolled in public schools, receiving home instruction, or participating in shared-time vocational programs. It also clarifies that disabled children aged three to five receiving specific services will be included, while preschool, post-graduate, and post-secondary vocational students will not.

Furthermore, the bill amends existing legal language regarding the deduction of State aid for children placed in State facilities. It specifies that deductions will be based on the number of resident children in such facilities on the last school day prior to October 16 of the prebudget year, rather than the budget year. The bill also introduces new reporting requirements for school districts, mandating annual reports to the Commissioner of Education that include detailed enrollment data and updates based on the new enrollment counts. Overall, this legislation aims to provide a more accurate reflection of student enrollment for the purpose of allocating State school aid.

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