SENATE, No. 1056

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

211th LEGISLATURE

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 23, 2004

Sponsored by:

Senator ROBERT W. SINGER

District 30 (Burlington, Mercer, Monmouth and Ocean)

SYNOPSIS

    Provides special education State aid for certain nonpublic school students.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

    As introduced.

An Act concerning State aid for certain special education students and supplementing P.L.1996, c.138 (C18A:7F-1 et seq.).

    Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

    1. a. Notwithstanding any provision of section 19 of P.L.1996, c.138 (C.18A:7F-19) or any other law to the contrary, whenever any student who is enrolled in a public school district and is determined by the district to be eligible for special education services subsequently enrolls in a nonpublic school, the district shall continue to count the student in its resident enrollment and to receive special education State aid for the student in accordance with the Tier in which the student is classified and for any Tier I services received by the student other than those for which funding is provided pursuant to P.L.1977, c.193 (C.18A:46-19.1 et seq.). The State aid received by the district of residence shall be used by the district to provide programs and services to the classified student enrolled in the nonpublic school at a cost not to exceed the amount of State funds.

    A nonpublic school student included in the resident enrollment of a public school district pursuant to this subsection shall be counted only for the purposes of determining special education State aid pursuant to section 19 of P.L.1996, c.138 (C.18A:7F-19) and not for the purpose of determining eligibility for any other State aid program established under that act.

    b. A school district shall annually submit to the Department of Education a report on the number of students enrolled in nonpublic schools for which the district receives special education State aid pursuant to subsection a. of this section. The report shall also include information on the programs and services provided to individual students and such other information as may be required by the Department of Education.

    2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall first apply to the 2004-2005 school year.

STATEMENT

    This bill provides that if a special education student enrolled in a public school district subsequently transfers to a nonpublic school, the district will continue to count the student in its resident enrollment and to receive special education State aid for the student in accordance with the Tier in which the student is classified and for any Tier I services received by the student. The State aid received by the district of residence shall be used by the district to provide programs and services to the classified student enrolled in the nonpublic school at a cost not to exceed the amount of State funds.

    The bill requires a school district to annually report to the Department of Education on the number of special education students enrolled in nonpublic schools for which the district is receiving special education State aid. The report would also include information on the programs and services provided to individual students and any other information required by the Department of Education.