This bill establishes a Train the Trainer Program within New Jersey's Department of Education to prepare educators to lead school-wide mental health training for teachers and staff. It appropriates $1 million to fund the program, which will teach evidence-based methods like trauma-informed approaches, recognizing mental health challenges, restorative practices, and crisis de-escalation. The program requires training on topics including fostering positive school climates, addressing bullying, and accessing mental health resources - though school districts may choose not to participate. The Commissioner of Education must annually evaluate the program and report on its effectiveness to the Governor and Legislature within three years.
This bill requires all New Jersey school districts serving grades 4-12 to hold an annual, 3-5 day program focused on bullying prevention and intervention. The program must include age-appropriate sessions covering bullying types and effects, cyberbullying prevention, bystander intervention skills, empathy, and creating supportive peer relationships for all students. School staff must also receive related training as part of the program, and districts may use the Bullying Prevention Fund for grant support if resources are lacking. Non-compliance may result in withheld state aid.
This bill establishes clear rules for New Jersey public schools when removing students for mental health clearance. Schools may only remove a student in an emergency where they or others face immediate physical danger, and must notify parents immediately (with a written report within 48 hours). It requires schools to provide free mental health clearances, ensure continued instruction during removal (if over 5 days), and update a student’s education plan (like an IEP or 504 plan) after return. The bill also prohibits schools from imposing extra conditions beyond the mental health clearance for re-entry.
This bill creates a $2 million grant program for New Jersey public schools to develop policies limiting student cell phone and social media use during school hours and school events. Schools receiving grants must create age-appropriate policies that include exceptions for emergencies, health needs, and accommodations for students with disabilities, while promoting alternatives like phone lockers and network restrictions. Participating schools must report annually on how the program affects academic performance, behavior, and student well-being, with the state later evaluating the program's effectiveness compared to non-participating schools. The program directly affects public schools seeking funding to address distractions, not individual students or parents.
This bill requires all New Jersey public school districts to teach water safety as part of the health education curriculum for students in grades K-12, starting with the 2018-2019 school year. It mandates instruction on four specific topics: proper use of flotation devices, awareness of water conditions, dangers of rip currents and how to respond, and the importance of swimming in lifeguard-monitored areas. The law directly affects every student in New Jersey public schools, integrating water safety into existing health education standards. It aims to address drowning as a leading cause of accidental death by providing practical safety knowledge. The bill takes effect immediately upon enactment.
This bill expands New Jersey's definition of "harassment, intimidation or bullying" to explicitly include hazing. It requires all public school districts to revise their anti-bullying policies to address power imbalances between students and incorporate this updated definition. The bill directs the Department of Education to revise its guidance documents and model policies to reflect these changes. These updates apply to all public school districts and students, mandating specific policy components, standardized incident reporting forms, and procedures for handling complaints.
This bill requires candidates for New Jersey Department of Education (DOE) positions involving access to school facilities to undergo criminal history background checks. Applicants must provide fingerprints with written consent and pay for the check, which the Commissioner of Education will process using the same standards applied to public school employees under existing law (P.L.1986, c.116). The DOE cannot hire applicants with disqualifying criminal convictions for offenses listed in that law, and must terminate employees if new convictions for those offenses arise after hire. The bill implements a recommendation from a state auditor's report to align DOE hiring practices with public school safety protocols.
This bill requires every public school in New Jersey to have at least one full-time school social worker employed by the local school district board. For schools with over 500 students, districts must add additional social workers in proportion to the student count. The law takes effect immediately for the first full school year after enactment, applying to all schools within participating districts. It directly affects all New Jersey public school districts and their staffing requirements for student support services.
This bill requires New Jersey public schools to create policies for emergency treatment of students with seizure disorders, specifically for administering nasal seizure rescue medication and using manual vagus nerve stimulators. It directly affects students with diagnosed seizure disorders, school nurses, and designated school staff trained to provide these emergency interventions. Key provisions include mandating written parental consent, requiring school nurses to train at least two volunteer staff members, ensuring medication access, and requiring hospital transport after emergency treatment. The policy also includes liability protections for school employees acting in good faith under the guidelines.
This bill requires the state to appropriate $1 million annually from the General Fund to educational services commissions that primarily serve students from School Development Authority (SDA) districts. These commissions currently receive no state funding for school facility upgrades or security improvements, despite having similar needs as SDA districts. The funds must be used for specific facility projects (like construction or renovations) and security measures (such as cameras, emergency notification systems, and access controls).
