This bill establishes a three-year pilot program for school-based mentoring in New Jersey public schools located within 1,000 feet of where gunfire occurred in the prior school year (a "crisis zone"). It directly affects kindergarten through third-grade students at risk for mental health issues or substance abuse, targeting improvements in their emotional resilience, social skills, and behavior. The program requires participating schools to use a weekly, 25-minute one-on-one mentoring curriculum focused on monitoring emotions, building coping skills, and maintaining emotional control, with schools selecting mentors and evaluating student progress at three intervals. After the pilot, the Commissioner of Education must report on whether the program could be expanded statewide.
S 3043 requires New Jersey's Commissioner of Education to create a sensitivity training program for high school athletic staff, including coaches, athletic directors, and sports officials. The training covers topics like gender/sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, disabilities, religious tolerance, unconscious bias, and diversity. All coaches, athletic directors, and sports officials must complete this training every four years, with new hires required to complete it in their first year. The program must be developed with input from the Division on Civil Rights and will apply to both public and nonpublic school athletic programs statewide. The bill was introduced to the Senate Education Committee on January 13, 2026.
New Jersey's S 2227 requires all public school districts, charter schools, and renaissance schools to create or expand summer school programs for students entering kindergarten through 12th grade the following fall. These programs must address pandemic-related learning loss with focused instruction in language, literacy, math, and social-emotional skills, plus family support resources. Schools must offer the programs to all enrolled students, with parental requests required 45 days before the summer start date (or at kindergarten registration if late). Schools must also report program details to the Commissioner of Education annually and may use federal funds or partner with other organizations to implement the requirements.
S 2797 would have required New Jersey public school districts to teach cursive handwriting to students in kindergarten through fifth grade, with a goal of achieving legible cursive writing proficiency by the end of third grade. The bill mandated incorporating specific activities and materials into the curriculum to develop students' ability to read and write cursive, citing research linking cursive instruction to improved cognitive, motor, and literacy skills - particularly for students with learning disabilities like dyslexia. This bill was withdrawn on January 13, 2026, as it was already enacted through P.L.2025, c.284.
This bill establishes a New Jersey state grant program to fund substance abuse prevention programs for eighth-grade students in public school districts. It requires school districts to apply for grants and certify they have funding (from district budgets, private donations, or federal sources) to support two key components: (1) staff/parent workshops on recognizing substance abuse risks, and (2) a four-part student education program featuring personal stories from rehab residents, affected families, correctional facility inmates, and positive role models. Students may opt out if parents provide a signed statement citing religious or moral objections. The program is modeled after an existing successful initiative at Copeland Middle School in Rockaway Township.
This bill provides free tuition at New Jersey public colleges and universities for dependent children and surviving spouses of New Jersey residents who were killed while serving in the U.S. military. It covers the portion of tuition not already covered by other scholarships or aid, applying to institutions like Rutgers, NJIT, and county colleges. Eligibility lasts eight years after high school graduation for children or eight years from the service member's death for surviving spouses. The program begins for the 2022-2023 academic year and is funded through state appropriations.
This bill establishes employment stability for high school coaches in New Jersey public school districts. Head coaches (who are tenured or out-of-district employees) receive a three-year contract, while assistant coaches (tenured) get a two-year contract. Coaches are automatically reappointed at the end of their term unless the school board provides 90 days' written notice of non-reappointment. The bill requires school districts to provide written notice of dismissal or pay reduction within five days, allows coaches to request a hearing within 10 days (with legal representation and testimony under oath), and mandates a board decision following the hearing.
This bill makes permanent a requirement that New Jersey high school students (and their parents or guardians) complete a financial aid application as a prerequisite for earning a high school diploma. Currently, this requirement was temporary, applying only to the 2023-2024 grade 11 class and the following school year, but the bill removes the expiration date. Students may be exempt through a waiver signed by a parent/guardian (or by the student if 18+), or with a school counselor’s authorization if a parent signature cannot be obtained. The bill also mandates that the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority provide resources like webinars and guides to schools, students, and families to help complete the application, and requires schools to annually notify students and parents about the requirement.
This bill establishes a new Department of Early Childhood within New Jersey's Executive Branch to consolidate early childhood services. It transfers specific responsibilities from the Department of Education (covering preschool-through-kindergarten programs like teacher licensing and Title I services) and the Department of Human Services (covering pregnancy-to-age-eight services like child care programs and the First Steps Initiative) to this new department. The bill defines the Commissioner as the head of the department, appointed by the Governor, and outlines the department's authority to manage these transferred programs, develop regulations, and coordinate services. This creates a single state agency responsible for early childhood education and care, directly affecting children aged birth through eight and the agencies currently managing these services.
This bill allows New Jersey municipalities to earn extra credit toward their affordable housing requirements by designating units for teachers. Specifically, it grants one credit plus a half-credit (1.5 total) for each low- or moderate-income housing unit reserved for households where at least one member is a teacher employed in preschool through grade 12. The credit applies to units occupied or reserved for such households, with "teacher" defined as anyone working in public or private K-12 schools. This change takes effect immediately and directly affects municipalities meeting housing obligations and teachers seeking affordable housing.
