ASSEMBLY, No. 928

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 1996 SESSION

By Assemblyman ROCCO

An Act concerning the construction of certain public facilities and supplementing P.L.1975, c.217 (C.52:27D-119 et seq.).

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

    1. a. At least 45 days prior to the submission of preliminary plans and specifications for the construction or alteration of a public school building to the Bureau of Facility Planning Services in the Department of Education for approval on educational adequacy, the local board of education shall meet with the governing body of the municipality in which the school building is located to discuss the issue of community usage of the facility. The discussion shall include, but not be limited to: ideas for the mutual utilization of the facility by the municipality and the school district; the use of the facility by community agencies and other non-profit organizations; the feasibility of the location of shared municipal and school district services within the facility; and the benefits to the members of the community at-large and school district students and their parents from the utilization of the facility on a year-round basis.

    b. The Bureau of Facility Planning Services shall not approve any plans for the construction or alteration of a public school building for educational adequacy pursuant to N.J.S.18A:18A-16 and section 12 of P.L.1975, c.217 (C.52:27D-130) unless the school board submits documentation sufficient to establish that it has met with the muncipal governing body to discuss the issue of community usage of the facility as required pursuant to subsection a. of this section.

    2. a. At least 45 days prior to the submission of preliminary plans and specifications for the construction or alteration of any municipal building or structure to the enforcing agency pursuant to the provisions of section 12 of P.L.1975, c.217 (C.52:27D-130), the governing body of the municipality shall meet with the local board of education of the school district in which the municipal building or structure is located to discuss the issue of school district usage of the facility. The discussion shall include, but not be limited to: ideas for the mutual utilization of the facility by the school district and the municipality; and the feasibility of the provision of space within the municipal facility for school district business office, child study team, or maintenance operations, or any other aspect of school district operations as determined by the municipality and the board of education.

    b. The enforcing agency shall not approve any plans for the construction or alteration of any municipal building or structure pursuant to section 12 of P.L.1975, c.217 (C.52:27D-130) unless the municipal governing body submits documentation sufficient to establish that it has met with the local board of education to discuss the issue of school district usage of the facility as required pursuant to subsection a. of this section.

    3. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

    This bill requires that at least 45 days prior to the submission of preliminary plans and specifications for the construction or alteration of a public school building to the Bureau of Facility Planning Services in the Department of Education for approval on educational adequacy, the local board of education is to meet with the governing body of the municipality in which the school building is located to discuss the issue of community usage of the facility. The discussion is to include, but not be limited to: ideas for the mutual utilization of the facility by the municipality and the school district; the use of the facility by community agencies and other non-profit organizations; the feasibility of the location of shared municipal and school district services within the facility; and the benefits to the members of the community and school district students and their parents from the utilization of the facility on a year-round basis. The bureau may not approve any construction plans unless the school board submits documentation that it has met with the municipal governing body to discuss community usage.

    The bill also provides that at least 45 days prior to the submission of preliminary plans and specifications for the construction or alteration of any municipal building or structure to the enforcing agency, the governing body of the municipality shall meet with the local board of education of the school district in which the facility is located to discuss the issue of school district usage of the facility. The enforcing agency shall not approve any plans for the construction or alteration of the municipal facility unless the municipal governing body submits documentation sufficient to establish that it has met with the school board to discuss shared use of the facility.

Requires meeting between local board of education and municipal governing body concerning joint usage of school and municipal facilities prior to construction.