This bill amends New Jersey's school funding laws to update how state aid is calculated for school districts and revises requirements for the Educational Adequacy Report. It requires the commissioner to annually notify districts of key funding factors like base per-pupil amounts, special education costs, and geographic adjustments. The bill also creates a new Special Education Funding Review Task Force to examine and recommend improvements to special education funding. These changes directly affect all public school districts receiving state aid and aim to ensure funding mechanisms align with current needs.
This bill establishes a system where New Jersey's state government directly pays for high-cost special education services for students requiring the most expensive placements (costing over $55,000 annually), shifting responsibility from school districts. It creates a new Office of High Needs Placement Funding within the Department of Education to contract with service providers and make 10 monthly payments starting in October each year. The bill directly affects students with disabilities needing intensive services, school districts currently covering these costs, and special education providers. The policy change aims to fulfill the state's funding obligations under federal special education law by ensuring direct state payment for these high-cost cases.
ACR 22 proposes a constitutional amendment requiring New Jersey to fund public school districts (excluding special education) with equal per-pupil state aid. This would change current funding practices where aid per student varies significantly between districts. The amendment specifies the state would not be required to set minimum or maximum funding levels for districts. If approved by voters, it would amend the state constitution to mandate this equal per-pupil funding approach for general school support.
This bill requires New Jersey's Department of Education to annually collect data from schools about physical restraints and seclusion used on students with disabilities. Schools must report the number of incidents, types of restraint, duration, and the number of affected students. The data must be published yearly on the DOE website, broken down by county, race, gender, and age - all while protecting student privacy. The bill does not change school policies but mandates transparency about restraint use.
This bill requires New Jersey school districts to send parents of students with disabilities an annual written notice about available advanced placement (AP) courses. The notice must include the course name, description, and any enrollment prerequisites. It also prohibits schools from excluding students with disabilities from AP courses solely because of their disability. The law directly affects students with disabilities and their families by ensuring equal access to AP opportunities and clear information about course options.
This New Jersey bill (S 1228) requires public schools to create emergency policies for students with seizure disorders. It mandates schools to train at least two non-nurse staff members (in addition to the school nurse) to administer nasal seizure rescue medication and use a manual vagus nerve stimulator during emergencies, with parental consent and written documentation. Schools must also develop individualized emergency plans in collaboration with parents and healthcare providers, and ensure students receive hospital evaluation after treatment. The bill protects school staff from liability for good-faith actions under these protocols, provided they follow training and consent requirements. The bill was introduced to the Senate Education Committee in January 2026.
This New Jersey bill (S 2598) requires public school districts, charter schools, and special education programs to establish clear policies for removing students from school pending a mental health assessment. It mandates that such removals only occur in emergencies where a student poses immediate danger to themselves or others, with written documentation, parent notification within 48 hours, and free mental health assessments for families. Schools must also update individualized education plans (IEPs) or 504 plans after a student returns, and cannot charge families for the assessment unless they choose a clinician outside the school’s approved list. The bill applies to all public and specialized school settings in New Jersey and aims to standardize emergency removal procedures while protecting student rights.
This bill requires New Jersey school districts and contracted bus providers to maintain at least one school bus aide for every 15 special needs students during transportation. It applies to buses carrying special needs students or mixed groups of special needs and general education students, but excludes students classified solely for "specific learning disabilities" under federal law. The rule takes effect for the first full school year after the bill becomes law. This policy directly affects school transportation services and ensures minimum staffing levels for student safety during bus travel.
This bill requires New Jersey's Department of Education to create a standardized checklist for school districts to help students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) plan their transition from high school to post-secondary life. The checklist covers key areas like college, jobs, healthcare, legal independence, and community resources, and must be reviewed with students (starting at age 16) and parents twice yearly by IEP teams. Additionally, the Department must maintain up-to-date transition resource information on its website for students, families, and schools to access easily.
This bill (S 2104) expands New Jersey's existing restrictions on physical restraint and seclusion in schools to apply to **all students**, not just those with disabilities. It requires schools to **notify parents immediately** (via phone/electronic message) when restraint or seclusion is used, followed by a written report within 48 hours, and to hold meetings if a student is subjected to these methods repeatedly. Schools must also **collect detailed data** on all incidents (including duration, type, and student demographics like race, gender, and disability type) and submit it annually to the Department of Education (DOE), which will publish the data publicly. The bill aims to increase transparency and safety by mandating consistent monitoring, documentation, and data-driven review of restraint/seclusion use across all public schools.
