ASSEMBLY EDUCATION COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 3392

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  OCTOBER 22, 2020

      The Assembly Education Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 3392 with committee amendments.

     As amended, this bill requires the board of education of each school district that includes grades nine through 12 and the board of trustees of each charter school that includes the grades nine through 12 to include a minimum of one student selected by the student body to serve as a nonvoting student representative on the board.  The student body may elect or appoint the student representative of the board, in a process to be determined by the student body.  Under the bill, the student representative will serve for a one school year term.

     In the case of a school district that includes more than one high school, the student representative of the board will rotate each school year among the public high schools in the school district.

     Under the bill, the duties of the student representative will include:

· attending all board meetings, except that a student representative will be excluded from discussions of the board involving subjects which are confidential;

· representing all high school students within the district or charter school and presenting student proposals and concerns to the board for its consideration; and

· keeping high school students informed of the business of the board by providing a monthly report to the student council concerning the activities of the board. 

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amended the bill to:

· provide that one student representative is the minimum number of student representatives that may be included on a board of education;

· require that the student representative will be selected by the student body.  The student may be elected or appointed, in a process to be determined by the student body; 

· provide that, in school districts that include more than one high school, the student representative of the board will rotate each school year among the high schools; and

· add a new section to the bill to require each board of trustees of a charter school that includes grades nine through 12 to include a minimum of one student representative selected by the student body.