This bill requires all New Jersey public schools to teach suicide prevention and related mental health education in every grade from kindergarten through 12th grade. It mandates that the State Board of Education revise curriculum standards within 180 days to include eight specific elements, such as recognizing suicide warning signs, understanding mental health's connection to overall health, identifying support resources, and addressing stigma. The instruction must be age-appropriate and evidence-based, covering topics like risk factors, protective factors, and the relationship between mental health and substance abuse. Implementation begins with the first full school year after the bill takes effect.
This bill requires all New Jersey high school students to complete a one-semester financial literacy course as part of their curriculum. The course must cover budgeting, savings, credit, debt, taxes, college financial planning, and other personal finance topics, while excluding primarily business or economic instruction. Teachers must hold specific endorsements (e.g., in Finance, Social Studies, or Business) to teach the course, and school districts must integrate it into graduation requirements for state-endorsed diplomas. The requirement applies to students entering 12th grade in the 2027-2028 school year.
This bill requires New Jersey high school students to pass a civics test identical to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services naturalization test (60 correct answers out of 100) to graduate. Students must take the test in ninth grade and retake it each year until they pass, with schools documenting the result on their transcripts. The policy directly affects all New Jersey public high school students seeking graduation, beginning with the 2015-2016 school year.
This bill requires all New Jersey public school districts to integrate age-appropriate lessons about the September 11, 2001 attacks into Social Studies curricula for elementary, middle, and high school students. It mandates specific content, including the historical context, timeline of events, recognition of first responders and Flight 93 passengers' sacrifice, and lessons on humanitarian aid and tolerance. Additionally, schools must hold annual commemorative events focused on conflict resolution, diversity, and cultural acceptance. The Commissioner of Education will provide sample resources to support implementation, with the law taking effect in the first full school year after enactment.
This bill establishes the Teaching Scholars Loan Redemption Program to address New Jersey's educator shortage by offering financial incentives to top high school graduates. Eligible participants (NJ residents who graduated from NJ high schools, applied for all other grants/scholarships, and enroll in NJ higher education) receive student loans up to $40,000 for undergrad or $10,000 for grad studies. In exchange for a five-year teaching commitment in a NJ public school, the state repays up to $50,000 total in loans ($10,000 per year of service), with participants required to maintain academic standing. The program targets high-achieving students to recruit future educators while capping total state repayment per participant.
This bill establishes a 15-member Core Curriculum Content Standards Advisory Council to review and update New Jersey's K-12 education standards. The council, including educators, higher education experts, business representatives, parents, and students, will create subject-specific subcommittees to assess current standards. Each subcommittee must research best practices, gather public feedback via surveys and hearings, and propose revisions - ensuring transparency through 60-day comment periods and public posting. The revised standards then go to the State Board of Education for adoption, directly affecting public school curricula, school districts, and students across the state.
This bill creates a one-time $5 million grant program to help 10 specific New Jersey school districts implement free, full-day kindergarten programs. It directly affects districts that currently do not offer this service, including Moorestown, Haddonfield, Metuchen, and others listed in the bill. School districts must submit applications detailing their implementation plans and costs to receive an equal share of the funds. The program requires districts to apply with specific plans before receiving grants, with all funds distributed evenly among eligible districts.
This bill allows eligible New Jersey educators (K-12 teachers, counselors, principals) and paraprofessionals (school aides) to deduct up to $250 of unreimbursed classroom supply expenses from their gross income tax. It covers costs like books, computers, software, and classroom materials, but excludes nonathletic supplies for health or physical education classes. To qualify, individuals must work at least 900 hours annually in a New Jersey public or private elementary/secondary school. The deduction applies to taxable years starting after the bill's enactment date.
This bill would require New Jersey's Department of Children and Families (DCF) to expand the existing Statewide Student Support Services program to include eating disorder awareness, prevention, and counseling services for students in grades K-12. Regional hubs administering the program must assess community needs for these services and develop policies to provide them through the program's three-tiered system: universal workshops (Tier 1), small-group programs (Tier 2), and clinical interventions (Tier 3). The law directly affects all K-12 students in New Jersey by adding eating disorder support to existing mental health services. Note: This bill was withdrawn on January 13, 2026, as it was approved as P.L.2025, c.366.
This bill amends New Jersey law to clarify that courts can order parents to cover post-high school educational expenses for unemancipated children (typically under 18 or with disabilities) as part of child support. It requires courts to consider specific factors related to higher education, such as the child's need, parents' financial circumstances, and the cost of education, when determining support amounts. The bill also specifies that child support obligations continue for children with severe disabilities (not due to substance abuse) until the court determines they no longer need financial support. It directly affects parents ordered to pay child support and unemancipated children seeking educational funding.
