Education (School Funding) in New Jersey

in committee · New Jersey · Senate Jan 13, 2026

S 2868: Requires school districts receiving preschool education aid to establish mixed delivery system for preschool education.

This bill requires New Jersey school districts receiving preschool education funding to offer a "mixed delivery system," meaning they must provide preschool access through a combination of district-run programs, licensed child care centers, or Head Start. It directly affects school districts serving 3- and 4-year-olds, mandating free full-day preschool for all eligible children in districts with higher concentrations of at-risk students (group A/B and CD districts with ≥40% at-risk pupils), and for at-risk pupils only in other districts. The key mechanism establishes a specific funding formula calculating aid based on how many children are served through each delivery option (district, child care, or Head Start), with districts required to submit a 5-year plan to implement full-day preschool by 2013-14. The policy change focuses on structuring how preschool funding is distributed and delivered, not on creating new programs or outcomes.

Topics ✓ Education

Sub-Topics Early Childhood School Funding

in committee · New Jersey · Senate Jan 13, 2026

S 2228: Establishes Department of Early Childhood.

This bill establishes a new Department of Early Childhood within New Jersey's Executive Branch to consolidate early childhood services. It transfers specific responsibilities from the Department of Education (covering preschool-through-kindergarten programs like teacher licensing and Title I services) and the Department of Human Services (covering pregnancy-to-age-eight services like child care programs and the First Steps Initiative) to this new department. The bill defines the Commissioner as the head of the department, appointed by the Governor, and outlines the department's authority to manage these transferred programs, develop regulations, and coordinate services. This creates a single state agency responsible for early childhood education and care, directly affecting children aged birth through eight and the agencies currently managing these services.

Topics ✓ Education

Sub-Topics Early Childhood K-12 Education School Funding

in committee · New Jersey · Senate Jan 13, 2026

S 1687: Requires Type II school district without board of school estimate holding its school election in November to receive voter approval of base budget.

This bill (S 1687) amends New Jersey's school funding statutes to clarify budget submission requirements for school districts. It mandates that districts holding school elections in November must submit their proposed budgets by March 20 (instead of March 4) and requires all districts to adopt budgets that provide "a thorough and efficient education" by that deadline. The bill does not address voter approval of budgets or change the requirement for districts to calculate a "required local share" based on state funding formulas. The title mentioning "voter approval" appears inconsistent with the actual text, which focuses on procedural deadlines and budget standards under existing funding law. The bill is currently in committee referral status.

Topics ✓ Education

Sub-Topics School Funding

in committee · New Jersey · Senate Jan 13, 2026

S 56: Includes value of certain properties exempt from taxation in valuation used to calculate State school aid.

This bill amends New Jersey's school funding formula to include the value of certain properties normally exempt from property taxes (like government-owned land) when calculating a school district's "equalized valuation." This change directly affects all public school districts receiving state aid, as it alters how the state determines each district's share of funding. The key mechanism updates the definition of "equalized valuation" to explicitly add exempt property values to the tax base used for aid calculations. As a result, districts with significant exempt properties may see adjustments in their state aid amounts based on this revised valuation method. The bill does not change the overall funding level but modifies the formula used to distribute existing state aid.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Education

Sub-Topics School Funding

in committee · New Jersey · Senate Jan 13, 2026

S 1577: Permits school districts to receive loans from State to support operating budget under certain circumstances.

This bill creates a state loan program to help New Jersey school districts facing significant operating budget shortfalls. School districts with shortfalls that would force cuts to nonmandatory programs - such as advanced placement courses, sports teams, music programs, and kindergarten - may apply for state loans through a new "School District Budget Relief Loan Account." To qualify, districts must demonstrate they spent below state adequacy levels in the prior year, increased property taxes by at least 2% annually for five years, and cannot resolve the shortfall through program cuts or tax hikes. The bill also allows districts to delay budget submission deadlines and public hearings until a loan decision is made.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Education

Sub-Topics K-12 Education School Funding

in committee · New Jersey · Senate Jan 13, 2026

S 2879: Establishes "School Finance Reform Commission."

S 2879 creates a 13-member "School Finance Reform Commission" to study and recommend improvements to New Jersey's school funding system. The commission, including the Education Commissioner and appointed members from legislative leaders and the Governor, will specifically examine school district property tax levies and how local share calculations affect equalization aid allocations. It must submit a report with findings and recommendations to the Governor and Legislature within one year of forming, and the bill expires 30 days after the report is issued. This bill directly affects school districts and state education funding policies through its mandated study and recommendations.

Topics ✓ Education

Sub-Topics School Funding

in committee · New Jersey · Senate Jan 13, 2026

SR 25: Urges State to fully fund extraordinary special education aid for students in 2023-2024 fiscal year and thereafter.

This Senate resolution (SR 25) urges New Jersey to fully fund state reimbursements for school districts' extraordinary special education costs, as required by the 2008 School Funding Reform Act (SFRA). It specifically addresses the current shortfall where districts were eligible for $585.4 million in reimbursements for 2022-2023 but received only $420 million (71.7% of entitlement), affecting districts serving students with disabilities whose costs exceed $40,000 (public schools) or $55,000 (private schools). The resolution emphasizes that full funding is needed to help districts cover high costs for vulnerable students and stabilize budgets without shifting burdens to local taxpayers. It does not create new law but calls on the state to meet its existing legal obligation under the SFRA.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Education

Sub-Topics School Funding Special Education

in committee · New Jersey · Senate Jan 13, 2026

S 66: Requires DOE to release to school district upon request data and software program algorithms used to calculate State school aid.

This bill requires New Jersey's Department of Education (DOE) to provide any school district that requests it with all underlying data and computer programs used to calculate state school aid. Specifically, it mandates the DOE to share the full dataset for all districts, including details on how adequacy budgets, equalization aid, and local share amounts are determined, plus the software algorithms used for calculations - even if the DOE considers the software proprietary. The DOE must also provide a district-by-district breakdown showing that total local funding plus state aid equals the statewide total of all adequacy budgets, as required by existing school funding laws. This applies to all school districts seeking transparency in how their state aid is calculated under current funding formulas.

Topics ✓ Education

Sub-Topics School Funding

in committee · New Jersey · Senate Jan 13, 2026

S 1258: Provides additional State school aid to school districts experiencing enrollment increases due to conversion of age-restricted housing developments to non-restricted developments.

This bill (S 1258) proposes to provide additional state school funding to New Jersey public school districts that experience enrollment increases due to the conversion of age-restricted housing developments (like senior living communities) into non-restricted housing. It amends existing school funding law to include these specific enrollment changes as a factor in calculating state aid, ensuring districts serving new families receive extra support. The bill defines key terms like "enrollment increases" and "school districts" but does not detail the exact funding formula. It affects districts in New Jersey where housing conversions lead to higher student populations. The bill is currently in the early legislative stage, introduced in January 2026 and referred to the Senate Education Committee.

Topics ✓ Education

Sub-Topics School Funding

in committee · New Jersey · Senate Jan 13, 2026

S 2650: Requires Commissioner of Education to take certain action concerning preliminary State school aid notices and school district budgets and creates New Jersey Education Funding Portal; modifies certain provisions in school funding law.

S 2650 requires New Jersey's Commissioner of Education to provide school districts with preliminary funding notices by December 1st each year for the following school year, detailing minimum and maximum state aid amounts, adequacy budgets, and projected local funding rates. It mandates the creation of a public "New Jersey Education Funding Portal" to make these funding details accessible online. The bill directly affects all public school districts by changing when they receive critical budget planning information - shifting from current timelines to an earlier December notice period starting with the 2026-2027 school year. Key mechanisms include standardized annual notifications about aid calculations and the new portal, streamlining how districts access and use funding data for budget planning. This is a procedural change to school funding transparency, not a modification of funding formulas or amounts.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Education

Sub-Topics School Funding

All education bills