This bill creates the School-Based Partnerships for Access and Resilience for Kids program within the Department of Children and Families to support student mental health. It requires school districts, charter schools, and renaissance schools to develop specific mental health support programs that connect students with high behavioral health needs to the new SPARK program navigator. The SPARK program, operated by the New Jersey Pediatric Psychiatry Collaborative, will provide same-day psychiatric consultations, referrals to community providers, and assistance with school re-entry after a mental health crisis. Access to these services is limited to students in kindergarten through grade 12 and requires written consent from a parent or legal guardian. Additionally, the bill mandates that schools have designated staff or formal agreements with external providers to ensure ongoing counseling support for their students.
This bill designates December 18 of each year as "New Jersey History Day" to honor the state's role in American history and encourage civic engagement. It requires the Governor to issue an annual proclamation for the day and allows school districts to observe it through activities like lessons on local history, student projects, and visits to historic sites. To support these efforts, the New Jersey Historical Commission will create educational resources, promote participation, and offer grants to schools and community groups.
This bill allows school districts in New Jersey to use leftover state funding for nonpublic school nursing services to pay for security services, and vice versa. Currently, districts must return any unused money from these specific programs to the state after the school year ends. The change permits districts to apply unspent funds from one program toward the costs of the other before a refund is required. This adjustment provides districts with more flexibility in managing state aid allocated for student safety and health care in private schools.
New Jersey's S 229 requires colleges and universities to collect and publicly report detailed employment outcomes and earnings data for recent graduates, along with other key metrics like graduation rates, costs, and financial aid. Institutions must post annual, disaggregated data (by race, gender, income, and other factors) on their websites, including employment rates, average student debt, and cost projections for different student scenarios. This transparency aims to help prospective students and families compare institutions based on concrete outcomes rather than general information. The law applies to all higher education institutions in New Jersey, with reports due annually and linked directly from application pages. The Secretary of Higher Education will also compile comparative profiles to help students easily evaluate institutions.
This New Jersey bill (S 2962) gives educational support professionals (like cafeteria workers, bus drivers, and administrative staff) who served in the U.S. military and qualify for VA benefits up to four years of seniority credit. The credit counts military service completed before or during their school district employment, treating it as equivalent to actual work time for seniority purposes. It expands an existing benefit currently only available to teaching staff. The policy takes effect immediately upon enactment.
This New Jersey bill amends state law to officially include accounting as a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) subject for educational programs. It updates two existing statutes - specifically P.L.2021, c.76 and P.L.2021, c.239 - to add "accounting" to the definition of STEM fields. This change expands eligibility for state-funded initiatives supporting underrepresented students (such as women and minorities) in higher education recruitment and K-12 outreach programs focused on STEM careers. The bill does not create new programs but adjusts statutory language to ensure accounting degrees and careers qualify for existing STEM-related support.
This bill allows public high school students in New Jersey who observe Ramadan to opt out of required physical education classes and sports participation during the holy month. Students may substitute PE with an instructional course or study hall (earning equivalent graduation credits) by submitting written notice to their principal before scheduling. Student-athletes may also be excused from sports or cheerleading programs by notifying their coach, with coaches prohibited from penalizing such absences. The policy specifically accommodates Muslim students' religious obligation to fast during Ramadan, without exempting them from other required health education courses.
