SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 2540

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  JUNE 25, 2020

The Senate Education Committee favorably reports Senate Bill No. 2540.

      This bill establishes a Co-Curricular Activity Emergency Grant Program in the Department of Education to support the continued operations of certain academic-related, co-curricular activities that are offered to students by public schools.

      The bill permits any school district, charter school, or renaissance school to apply to the Department of Education for a co-curricular activity emergency grant.  Each grant would be dedicated to supporting the operations of one or more co-curricular activities that are offered to students who attend the recipient school.  When submitting an application, the school district, charter school, or renaissance school would be required to designate the co-curricular activities to which grant funding would be dedicated.

      Under the bill, each grant would be awarded in an amount determined by the Commissioner of Education.  When awarding grants, the commissioner may give preference to applicants that experienced the largest reduction in revenues due to the outbreak of COVID-19, or dedicate funding to specific co-curricular activities.

      As used in the bill, a “co-curricular activity” means a voluntary activity or program that is conducted outside of regular school hours and supplements the academic experience of participating students, including such activities as model United Nations, debate competitions, theatrical performances, musical performances, and other academic-related activities. 

      The bill also appropriates $750,000 from the General Fund to support the operations of the grant program.