SENATE, No. 1224

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

INTRODUCED JUNE 3, 1996

By Senators GORMLEY, CIESLA, Singer, Connors,

Bryant and Adler

An Act concerning State school aid for certain school districts and supplementing P.L.1990, c.52 (C.18A:7D-1 et al).

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

    1. a. In addition to any State school aid to which a school district is entitled under P.L.1990, c.52 (C.18A:7D-1 et al.) or any other law, in each school year a school district, which is located in whole or in part in a municipality which contains a Regional Growth Area as designated by the Pinelands Commission in the comprehensive management plan developed pursuant to P.L.1979, c.111 (C.13:18A-1 et seq.), shall be eligible to receive additional State school aid. The additional aid shall equal .05 of the per pupil aid amount as calculated pursuant to subsection b. of this section x the district's resident enrollment for the prebudget year.

    b. The per pupil aid amount shall be calculated by dividing the total Statewide foundation aid entitlement for the budget year by the total Statewide resident enrollment for the prebudget year.

    c. In the event that a municipality which contains a Regional Growth Area is a constituent district of a regional school district, the additional State aid shall be paid to the regional school district on behalf of the pupils who reside in that municipality.

    2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall first apply to State aid for the 1996-97 school year.

STATEMENT

    Pursuant to the "Pinelands Protection Act," P.L.1979, c.111, the Pinelands Commission was charged with developing a comprehensive management plan for the Pinelands the purpose of which was to determine the amount and type of human development which various areas of the Pinelands might accommodate. Under that plan, the commission established eight management areas governing the general distribution of land uses and intensities in the Pinelands. One of those management areas is that of Regional Growth Areas which are defined as "those areas within the Pinelands which are capable of accommodating regional growth influences while protecting the essential character and environment of the Pinelands." As a result of the designation of Regional Growth Areas within certain municipalities, those municipalities have experienced an accelerated rate of growth in relation to surrounding areas and have had to bear the costs associated with this growth including significant increases in their school age populations. This bill recognizes the burdens which this increased growth rate in the school age population has placed on those municipalities by establishing a new category of State school aid directed towards school districts located in such municipalities.

    Under the bill's provisions, any school district which is located in a municipality which contains Regional Growth Areas as designated by the Pinelands Commission shall be eligible to receive additional State school aid. The additional aid shall equal .05 of the per pupil aid amount x the district's resident enrollment for the prebudget year. The per pupil aid amount shall be calculated annually by dividing the total Statewide foundation aid entitlement for the budget year by the total Statewide resident enrollment for the prebudget year. For the 1996-97 school year, the additional per pupil aid would equal approximately $112 per pupil and would be distributed to 21 school districts which are located in municipalities which have Regional Growth Areas within their borders.

Provides additional State school aid to school districts located in municipalities which contain Regional Growth Areas.