An Act concerning county vocational school districts and county special services school districts and supplementing chapters 46 and 54 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
C.18A:46-47 Establishment of one board of education for county special services, vocational school district.
1. a. Notwithstanding any provisions of law to the contrary, a board of chosen freeholders may, by resolution, establish one board of education for the county special services school district established pursuant to section 1 of P.L.1971, c.271 (C.18A:46-29) and the county vocational school district established pursuant to chapter 54 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes. This board of education shall be known as “The Board of Education of the Special Services School District and the Vocational School District of the county of....” This board shall have all the powers, functions and duties provided to a board of education of a county special services school district pursuant to article 8 of chapter 46 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes and a board of education of a county vocational school district pursuant to article 3 of chapter 54 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
b. The consolidated board of education established pursuant to subsection a. of this section shall consist of the county superintendent of schools, ex officio, and six persons to be appointed by the chief elected executive officer of the county, or the director of the board of chosen freeholders, with the advice and consent of the remaining members of the board of chosen freeholders, as appropriate to the appointment procedures established by the form of government of the county. In any county having a county mental health board, the chairman thereof, or his designee, shall also serve as an ex-officio, nonvoting member of the board. At least three of the appointed members shall have an interest in children with an educational disability or in the field of mental health and at least three of the appointed members shall have an interest in the field of vocational education. The appointed members shall serve for terms of three years and shall continue to serve until their successors are appointed and qualify. A vacancy in the board shall be deemed to exist, and shall be filled, in the manner prescribed in P.L.1979, c.302 (C.40A:9-12.1).
Each appointed member shall be a citizen and resident of the county and shall have been a citizen and resident for at least two years immediately preceding becoming a member of the board. If an appointed member ceases to be a resident of the county, membership on the board shall cease.
c. Of the initial members appointed to the board of education established pursuant to subsection a. of this section, two shall serve a one-year term, two shall serve a two-year term, and two shall serve a three-year term. Thereafter when a term of one of the appointed members expires, the vacancy shall be filled as provided pursuant to this section and the member shall serve a three-year term from November 1 next succeeding the date of his appointment.
C.18A:46-48 Existing boards dissolved.
2. Whenever a board of education is established pursuant to subsection a. of section 1 of this act, the board of education of the county special services school district and the board of education of the county vocational school district shall be dissolved upon the first organization of the consolidated board.
C.18A:46-49 Annual organization.
3. Each board of education established pursuant to subsection a. of section 1 of this act shall organize annually on July 1 by the election of a president and vice-president, unless July 1 falls on Sunday, in which case the board shall organize on the following day.
If the organization meeting cannot take place on the day hereinabove provided for by reason of a lack of a quorum or for any other reason, the meeting shall be held within 3 days thereafter.
C.18A:46-50 Certain school districts remain independent.
4. Nothing in this act shall be deemed to authorize the consolidation of a county special services school district and a county vocational school district into one school district. If a consolidated board of education is established pursuant to subsection a. of section 1 of this act, the county special services school district and the county vocational school district shall continue to be funded, operated, and maintained as independent school districts.
C.18A:46-51 Employees transferred to consolidated school board.
5. All employees of a board of education dissolved pursuant to this act shall continue in their respective assignments in the county special services school district or the county vocational school district. A consolidated board of education established pursuant to this act shall recognize, preserve, and maintain all rights to tenure, seniority, pension, leaves of absence, and all other terms and conditions of employment, whether created by statute, regulation, contract, or past practice. Any periods of employment with a board of education dissolved pursuant to this act shall count toward the acquisition of tenure and any other rights, benefits, or emoluments to the same extent as if all employment had been with the consolidated board of education established pursuant to this act.
C.18A:46-52 Maintenance of collective bargaining unit, representatives.
6. All collective bargaining units and their respective majority representatives in existence in the county special services school district and the county vocational school district prior to the consolidation of the boards of education shall be maintained without change under a consolidated board of education established pursuant to this act, unless they are otherwise altered through an appropriate petition to the Public Employment Relations Commission for a change in representation or bargaining units.
C.18A:46-53 Reference to consolidated board.
7. If a board of chosen freeholders establishes a board of education pursuant to subsection a. of section 1 of this act, whenever in any law, rule, regulation, contract, document, judicial or administrative proceeding or otherwise, reference is made to the board of education of the county special services school district, the same shall mean and refer to the consolidated board.
C.18A:54-12.1 Establishment of one board of education.
8. Notwithstanding any provision of this chapter to the contrary, a board of chosen freeholders may, by resolution, establish one board of education for the county special services school district established pursuant to section 1 of P.L.1971, c.271 (C.18A:46-29) and the county vocational school district established pursuant to chapter 54 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes, according to the provisions of sections 1 through 6 of P.L.2007, c.222 (C.18A:46-47 through C.18A:46-52).
C.18A:54-12.2 Reference to consolidated board.
9. If a board of chosen freeholders establishes a board of education pursuant to subsection a. of section 1 of P.L.2007, c.222 (C.18A:46-47), whenever in any law, rule, regulation, contract, document, judicial or administrative proceeding or otherwise, reference is made to the board of education of the county vocational school district, the same shall mean and refer to the consolidated board.
10. The State Board of Education shall promulgate rules pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), to effectuate the provisions of this act.
11. This act shall take effect immediately.
Approved January 3, 2008.