This bill establishes state funding for transportation services for preschool students in New Jersey. It amends existing education laws to require the state to calculate and report the average cost of providing transportation to preschoolers, which will be used to determine aid amounts for school districts. The funding formula adjusts transportation aid based on factors like student counts, distance traveled, and special needs, while also including preschool students who qualify for full-day preschool programs. School districts receiving this aid will see financial support specifically allocated to cover the costs of transporting preschool-aged children to and from school.
This bill (A1127) allocates an additional $1.2 million in state funding from the Property Tax Relief Fund specifically to the Franklin Township School District in Somerset County. The supplemental appropriation directly assists the school district in covering increased costs for student transportation and charter school tuition. The funding is provided as a supplemental addition to existing annual education appropriations under the state's budget. This is a procedural budgetary action with no new policy provisions, solely addressing specific cost increases for one school district.
This bill establishes a 18-member Special Education Transportation Task Force to study and recommend best practices for transporting students with special education needs. The task force will focus on improving responses to medical and behavioral emergencies during transportation, safety protocols, access to necessary equipment, and communication with families. Composed of education officials, disability advocates, school staff, and parents, the group must submit its recommendations to the Governor and Legislature within 12 months of forming. The bill does not create new laws but sets a process for evaluating and improving existing transportation practices.
This bill requires school districts in New Jersey to conduct monthly inspections of all school buses provided by contracted transportation companies. Specifically, the school transportation supervisor must check each bus's condition and verify that the driver holds a valid school bus license. These inspections and license checks must occur on school property each month that students receive transportation services. The bill applies directly to school districts using external bus contractors and takes effect immediately upon enactment.
This bill requires school bus drivers and personnel to call 911 in potential life-threatening emergencies involving students. It mandates that school buses transporting students with disabilities be equipped with specific safety features (though exact features aren't detailed in the text). The bill also requires annual safety training for all bus personnel, including emergency procedures and recognizing signs of life-threatening situations for students with disabilities. Funding for these requirements is included through an appropriation. The bill directly affects school bus operators, drivers, aides, and students with disabilities in New Jersey.
This bill requires New Jersey to cover transportation costs for certain homeless students that exceed the average per-pupil cost in their school district. It directly affects two groups: (1) homeless students temporarily living in a district different from their district of residence while attending school there, and (2) students displaced by terrorism or natural disasters (with state emergency declarations) who remain in their original district for up to two years. Under the bill, the state pays for transportation costs above the district’s average per-pupil transportation expense in both scenarios. The policy change modifies existing laws to shift this specific cost burden from local districts to the state.
This bill exempts fuel used to operate school buses for transporting students to or from school or school activities from two New Jersey state taxes: the petroleum products gross receipts tax and the motor fuel tax. It directly affects school districts, religious or charitable organizations operating school buses, and contractors working with public agencies to provide school transportation. The law adds school buses to existing exemptions, allowing these entities to claim refunds for fuel taxes already paid on qualifying bus operations. This creates a concrete tax relief for school transportation costs without altering tax rates for other users.
This bill (A-2957) upgrades the legal classification of certain assaults against school personnel from "simple assault" to "aggravated assault" when the attack occurs while they are clearly performing their duties (e.g., in uniform or identifiable as staff). It specifically targets incidents involving school board members, administrators, teachers, school bus drivers, or other school employees acting in their official roles. The change increases penalties for these assaults by elevating the charge under New Jersey's assault statute (N.J.S.2C:12-1). This directly affects school staff members who are assaulted during work hours in identifiable professional roles.
This bill extends the maximum distance for state-funded transportation to nonpublic (private) school students from 20 miles to 30 miles in specific New Jersey counties: Atlantic, Burlington, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Hunterdon, Ocean, Salem, Sussex, and Warren. It requires school districts to provide bus transportation or a cash payment (if bids exceed state limits) for eligible students living within 30 miles of their nonpublic school. Students must use existing bus stops serving those living within 20 miles of the school. The state covers all costs for eligible transportation or payments, moving this provision from temporary annual appropriations to permanent law.
This New Jersey bill lowers the cost threshold for state reimbursement of special education expenses from $40,000 to $35,000 for students educated in regular public school settings. School districts will now receive 90% state funding for costs exceeding this new threshold (previously $40,000), while maintaining 75% reimbursement for costs above $40,000 in separate public schools and $55,000 for private school placements. It directly affects school districts serving students with disabilities requiring intensive services, adjusting how they receive state aid for high-cost special education programs. The bill is pending before the Assembly Education Committee as of January 2026.
