This bill creates a grant program within the Department of Environmental Protection to fund schools that collect plastic waste for upcycling into new furniture. It allocates $5 million to distribute proportional awards to eligible public and private K-12 schools based on the amount of plastic each school collects. The program will operate as a three-year pilot, allowing schools to purchase desks, chairs, and other furnishings made from recycled school-collected plastics.
This bill requires all school districts and nonpublic schools in New Jersey to create emergency operations plans that cover various potential emergencies, including natural disasters, fires, and pandemics. These plans must be coordinated with state and local emergency responders and include procedures for maintaining essential school functions during crises. Additionally, the bill mandates that school districts teach students from kindergarten through 12th grade about environmental and natural disasters as part of their science, health, and social studies curricula. The emergency plans must be reviewed and updated every five years or sooner if an emergency occurs, and the instruction on disasters must help students understand school emergency policies and how to prepare for emergencies.
This bill directs $3 million in annual funding from the Social Equity Excise Fee, a tax on cannabis sales, to support Freedom Schools across New Jersey. The money will be allocated to the Department of State to provide financial assistance for these programs, which offer academic summer classes and year-round tutoring and homework help to K-12 students and their families. The legislation overrides previous funding restrictions to ensure this specific revenue stream is used for this purpose. The act takes effect immediately upon passage.
This bill creates a pilot program to study how New Jersey school districts could combine existing high schools with local elementary and middle schools to form unified K-12 regional districts. It authorizes the State Department of Education to select three pilot sites across the state and provides $150,000 in funding to support feasibility studies and planning grants for participating districts. If the pilot shows success, the bill outlines a process requiring voter approval in each municipality before implementation, along with state financial incentives to help cover initial costs. The program includes a five-year implementation phase and an independent evaluation component to assess impacts on student achievement, finances, and community satisfaction.
This bill requires middle and high school districts in New Jersey to create food services advisory committees that recommend menu options reflecting students' cultural, traditional, and dietary preferences. The committees will include students, parents, school staff, and food service employees, and must meet at least three times per year to review menu options while considering nutritional standards and budget constraints. Districts must survey students to identify unmet food preferences, and if students request vegetarian or vegan options, schools must make reasonable efforts to include them in their meal programs.
This bill establishes a four-year pilot program in New Jersey to create mental health assistance programs for students in grades K-12 within selected school districts. The program would require participating districts to appoint student assistance counselors trained to identify students facing mental health challenges, provide confidential support services, and connect students with community resources. Up to 15 districts from urban, suburban, and rural areas across the state's northern, central, and southern regions would be selected to participate, with districts required to submit funding plans for sustaining the program after the pilot concludes. At the end of the pilot, each district must report on the number of students served and program effectiveness, and the Commissioner of Education will submit a final report to the Governor and Legislature with recommendations on whether to expand the program statewide.
This bill requires New Jersey high schools to teach cybersecurity to students in grades nine through twelve, with the state education commissioner creating curriculum guidelines that cover basic computer skills, internet safety, and career pathways. It also directs the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education to develop model curricula for four-year universities and county colleges to help them design cybersecurity degree programs that meet accreditation standards. Additionally, the bill establishes loan redemption programs for individuals working in specific cybersecurity occupations, though the exact terms of these financial incentives are not detailed in the text provided. The legislation aims to build a pipeline of skilled cybersecurity professionals by integrating education from high school through higher education.
This bill directs the New Jersey State Board of Education to review and update the state's Social Studies Student Learning Standards during the next scheduled revision to include instruction on recent historical events for students in grades K-12. The legislation specifically requires the board to consider adding standards related to the September 11, 2001 attacks and other historically significant events, while also allowing the board to determine additional events to include. The bill mandates that the board follow its existing public review and adoption process, which includes providing opportunities for public comment in person or in writing. Additionally, the law requires the board to evaluate new historical events for inclusion each time the standards are updated in the future.
This bill creates a Social-Emotional Learning Program within New Jersey's Department of Education to support public school students in grades kindergarten through five. The program will teach students skills to process and apply social and emotional abilities while fostering safe learning environments through peer and family activities. It will initially launch in two cohorts of 103 schools across northern, central, and southern regions, with the Clayton School District serving as a model site. The state will fund 50% of program costs in the first year, decreasing to 35% and then 25% in subsequent years, with an initial $2 million appropriation.
This bill requires New Jersey public school districts to allow students attending nonpublic (private) schools to try out for and participate in their district's high school sports teams, provided they meet the same eligibility requirements as public school students. Nonpublic school students must provide proof of district residency and satisfy the district's standard requirements for sports participation, such as physical exams, academic standards, and fees. Districts may charge nonpublic students a fee up to the actual per-pupil cost of the sport (excluding those qualifying for financial hardship), but are not required to provide transportation or alter team schedules. The law does not change existing eligibility rules set by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association.
