ASSEMBLY, No. 523
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 1996 SESSION
By Assemblywoman CRECCO
An Act concerning residential school programs for pupils with disciplinary problems and supplementing chapter 47 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The Commissioner of Education shall establish a residential school pilot program for pupils age 15 or over with disciplinary problems. The primary goal of the program is to foster self-control, self-respect, maturity, teamwork and improved study habits in order to positively influence the pupil's behavior and help prevent future disciplinary problems. The residential school program shall offer instruction within a highly structured routine of discipline, intensive regimentation, military-style drill and ceremony, physical activity, and self-improvement counselling. The program shall be no longer than 60 days nor shorter than 45 days in length. All teaching staff members employed by the school shall hold appropriate State certification and class sizes shall not exceed 10 pupils per class.
b. Any pupil age 15 or over who has been subject to suspension or expulsion from school pursuant to N.J.S.18A:37-2 on three occasions shall be immediately expelled from school by the board of education on each subsequent occasion, in a manner consistent with procedural due process, and shall be evaluated by a review committee consisting of a classroom teacher, the school principal or his designee, the school pyschologist, a member of the school's child study team and a local law enforcement officer. The review committee shall evaluate the pupil to determine if it is in the pupil's best interest to attend the residential program established pursuant to subsection a. of this section. If the committee determines that it is in the pupil's best interest to attend the program, the pupil shall not be eligible to return to school until satisfactory completion of the residential program.
This subsection shall not apply to any pupil who is classified as in need of special education services when the residential program is not consistent with the pupils individualized educational program. In addition, the provisions of this subsection shall not apply to any pupil who is denied admission to the residential program due to lack of space.
c. For the 1994-95 through 1995-96 school years the Commissioner of Education shall establish one residential school program pursuant to subsection a. of this section which shall have the capacity to enroll at least 250 pupils in each school year. The Commissioner of Education shall report to the Legislature no later than January 1, 1996 on the effectiveness of the residential school pilot program and make recommendations as to whether the program should be continued or expanded. The pilot program will terminate on June 30, 1996.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill authorizes the Commissioner of Education to establish a "boot camp" style residential school pilot program for pupils age 15 or over with disciplinary problems. Any pupil who has been subject to suspension or expulsion on three occasions will be immediately expelled from school. The pupil will then be evaluated by a review committee consisting of a classroom teacher, the school principal or his designee, the school pyschologist, a member of the school's child study team and a local law enforcement officer to determine if it is in the pupil's best interest to attend the residential program. If the committee finds it is in the pupil's best interests to attend the residential program, the pupil will be eligible to return to school upon satisfactory completion of the residential program. However, this provision will not apply if no space is available in the program or if the program is inconsistent with the pupil's individualized educational program.
The residential school program will offer instruction based on a highly structured routine of discipline, intensive regimentation, military-style drill and ceremony, physical activity, and self-improvement counselling in order to foster self-control, self-respect, maturity, teamwork and improved study habits in the pupil. The program shall be no longer than 60 days nor shorter than 45 days in length; all teaching staff members employed by the school must hold appropriate State certification and class sizes will not exceed 10 pupils per class.
Establishes on pilot basis a "boot camp" style residential school program for pupils with disciplinary problems.