A214

A Supplement to "An Act making appropriations for the support of the State Government and the several public purposes for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2017 and regulating the disbursement thereof," approved June , 2016 (P.L.2016, c. ).

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

1. In addition to the amounts appropriated under P.L.2016, c. , there is appropriated out of the Property Tax Relief Fund the following sum for the purpose specified:

34 DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION *30 Educational, Cultural, and Intellectual Development* *31 Direct Educational Services and Assistance* STATE AID
01-5120 General Formula Aid….......................................................		$103,000,000
Total State Aid Appropriation,		$103,000,000
Direct Educational Services and Assistance ....................
*State Aid*:
01 Preschool Education Aid…..………………...	($103,000,000)

From the amount hereinabove appropriated for Preschool Education Aid, the Commissioner of Education shall provide State aid to no more than 17 qualified districts for the purpose of providing free access to full-day preschool for all three- and four-year old children residing in the school district in accordance with the preschool quality standards adopted by the commissioner. The commissioner shall determine which qualified districts shall receive Preschool Education Aid based on a district’s demonstration of its readiness to operate a preschool program consistent with the preschool quality standards, and shall give priority to qualified districts having the highest concentration of at-risk pupils, as defined pursuant to section 3 of P.L.2007, c.260 (C.18A:7F-45), among all qualified districts. The commissioner shall calculate the aid pursuant to the provisions of subsection a. of section 12 of P.L.2007, c.260 (C.18A:7F-54) based on the projected preschool enrollment. For the purposes of this provision, “qualified district” means a school district that: (1) pursuant to the provisions of section 12 of P.L.2007, c.260 (C.18A:7F-54), is to provide free access to full-day preschool to all three- and four-year old children who reside in the district; (2) does not receive any other State funding to provide such access to full-day preschool to all three- and four-year old children; (3) does not receive funds from a subgrant from the federal Preschool Development Grants program; and (4) has at least 75 resident four-year old children who reside in households in which the household income is no greater than 185 percent of the federal poverty guidelines.

2. This act shall take effect June 1, 2016, or upon the enactment of P.L.2016, c. , the annual appropriations act for fiscal year 2016-2017, whichever occurs later.

STATEMENT

This bill provides a supplemental appropriation of $103 million to the Department of Education to provide preschool education aid to additional school districts. Specifically, the bill directs the Commissioner of Education to provide State aid to up to 17 qualified districts for the purpose of providing free access to full-day preschool for all three- and four-year old children residing in the school district. The commissioner would determine which qualified districts would receive the aid based on the districts demonstrating their readiness to operate a preschool program consistent with the State’s preschool quality standards, with priority going to the districts with the highest concentration of at-risk pupils (defined as students residing in a household in which income does not exceed 185 percent of the federal poverty guideline). Under the bill, a “qualified district” includes a school district that: 1) under the school funding law, is to provide free access to full-day preschool to all three- and four-year old children residing in the school district; 2) does not receive any other State funding to provide such access to full-day preschool to all three- and four-year old children; 3) does not receive funds from a subgrant from the federal Preschool Development Grants program; and 4) has at least 75 four-year old residents who live in households in which the income does not exceed 185 percent of the federal poverty guidelines.

Based on data from the Application for State School Aid from the Department of Education, the following 17 school districts have the highest concentration of at-risk students among all qualified districts, and would be given priority for Preschool Education Aid under the bill: Bayonne City, Belleville Town, Carteret Borough, Cliffside Park Borough, Dover Town, Fairview Borough, Guttenberg Town, Hackensack City, Haledon Borough, Hillside Township, Pennsauken Township, Penns Grove-Carneys Point Regional, Prospect Park Borough, Roselle Borough, Somers Point City, Ventnor City, and Woodbury City.