"Fairness for School Districts in Development Restricted Areas Act"; provides additional State school aid to certain school districts located in municipalities that are part of Highlands or Pinelands preservation areas.

This bill, titled the Fairness for School Districts in Development Restricted Areas Act, provides additional state funding to specific school districts located in municipalities within New Jersey's Highlands or Pinelands preservation areas. To qualify, a school district must have a resident enrollment of over 500 students, be entirely located in a municipality where at least 25 percent of the land is in these protected areas, and have experienced a net loss in state school aid since the 2017-2018 school year. The funding amount is calculated by multiplying $250 by the number of acres in the municipality that fall within the preservation areas, with maximum annual caps of $2.5 million for districts with fewer than 1,000 students and $5 million for larger districts. The legislation takes effect immediately and applies to the first full school year following its enactment.