This New Jersey bill clarifies how public schools must record student attendance, creating four specific categories: present, excused absence, State-excused absence, and unexcused absence. It defines excused absences for health issues (including menstrual disorders like endometriosis), mental health, court appearances, or family deaths, requiring schools to provide makeup work for missed lessons. Schools cannot count excused absences toward perfect attendance records or chronic absenteeism reporting for federal "Every Student Succeeds Act" requirements, though excused absences still count for chronic absenteeism metrics. Students must provide documentation (e.g., medical notes) for excused absences, while State-excused absences (like religious observances or Veterans Day events) won’t affect attendance rates reported to the state.
This bill requires all New Jersey public school districts with high schools to enter into mandatory dual enrollment agreements with public institutions of higher education. It directly affects school districts and public colleges/universities, mandating partnerships that allow high school students to earn college credit or career certificates through courses taught on campus. Key provisions include ensuring no student is excluded due to cost, requiring equivalent course rigor regardless of location, and detailing student eligibility and participation processes. The agreement must cover course offerings, student notification methods, and other specifics approved by education officials. The law takes effect immediately, applying to the first full school year after enactment.
This bill (A 2773) creates a four-year grant program to fund performing arts education in eligible New Jersey school districts. It requires districts to demonstrate that a majority of their schools serve high concentrations of multilingual learners, students in resource family care, rural students, or at-risk pupils to qualify for grants. Funds can be used for arts materials, teacher training, program development (including college/career pathways), and extracurricular activities. Participating districts must report annually on program participation and outcomes, and the Commissioner of Education must submit a final report to the Governor and Legislature recommending whether to continue the program.
This bill requires New Jersey's Department of Education to create a new credential focused on culturally responsive teaching practices. The credential will introduce teachers to methods that acknowledge students' cultural backgrounds and connect learning to their experiences, aiming to improve equitable access to education. Developed in partnership with the Diverse and Learner-Ready Teachers Initiative, the credential must be available to all teachers starting the first full school year after the bill's enactment. The bill defines culturally responsive teaching as incorporating students' cultural references and using research-based strategies that link school learning to students' cultures, languages, and experiences.
This New Jersey bill (A-2347) requires employers designated as qualifying under the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program to inform new employees about the PSLF program during initial benefits explanations. It mandates employers to explain both potential eligibility and specific requirements, including working at least 30 hours per week for a qualifying employer, having Direct Loans or consolidated federal student loans, repaying under an income-driven plan, and making 120 qualifying payments. The law directly affects eligible employers in New Jersey and their new hires with federal student loans. It aims to clarify access to a federal loan forgiveness program through mandatory employer communication at hiring. The bill takes effect immediately upon enactment.
This bill requires New Jersey school districts to provide bus transportation to public and nonpublic school students living within the standard distance limits (2 miles for elementary, 2.5 miles for secondary) but along routes designated as "hazardous" by the state. It establishes a process where the state transportation official, with input from police and education leaders, defines and designates hazardous routes based on specific safety criteria like traffic volume, road conditions, and pedestrian infrastructure. School districts must then provide transportation for students on these designated routes, and the state will annually review route designations to ensure they remain accurate. The policy directly affects students living near unsafe walking paths and school districts responsible for providing this transportation.
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.
This bill allows eligible New Jersey educators (teachers in public or nonpublic K-12 schools) to deduct up to $1,200 from their taxable income for unreimbursed classroom supply expenses. It defines "classroom supplies" as items like books, pencils, computers, lab equipment, and other daily teaching materials. The deduction applies only to expenses not covered by the school and takes effect after enactment for future tax years. The bill does not change tax rates but provides a direct tax benefit for educators covering out-of-pocket costs.
This bill creates the Office of School Climate within New Jersey's Department of Education, led by a School Climate State Coordinator. It requires the Coordinator to develop and maintain a central online resource hub for parents and guardians, including a multilingual tutorial on identifying, preventing, and reporting harassment, intimidation, and bullying in schools. The tutorial must be available in languages commonly spoken by students' families. The bill also mandates legislative funding to support this office and its operations.
This bill appropriates $20 million from the General Fund to the New Jersey Department of Education (DOE) specifically for school facility cleaning and sanitization during the COVID-19 pandemic. It directly affects public school districts, charter schools, and nonpublic schools that received a health department directive for a closure on or after March 9, 2020. Funds cover disinfectants, cleaning supplies, and increased personnel costs for enhanced cleaning schedules, with allocations based on student enrollment. The DOE must establish an expedited application and disbursement process for these funds.
