SENATE BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 2061

with Senate committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: JUNE 12, 1997

      The Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee reports favorably Senate Bill No. 2061 with committee amendments.

      Senate Bill No. 2061, as amended, changes a provision of the "Comprehensive Educational Improvement and Financing Act of 1996" to provide additional supplemental stabilization aid for the 1997-98 school year to local school districts that had increases in resident enrollments between the October 1993 and October 1994 enrollment counts and between the October 1994 and October 1995 enrollment counts. The bill also provides for the continuation of this aid in future years upon the recommendation of the Commissioner of Education in accordance with procedures provided in current law.

      As amended and reported, this bill is identical to Assembly Bill No. 2645 (1R) (Allen/DeSopo) as amended and reported by this committee on June 12, 1997.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amended the bill to make it applicable only for local school districts that meet the criteria. Prior to being amended the bill would have applied for any district, including county vocational school districts that met the criteria.

FISCAL IMPACT:

      It was estimated that enactment of this bill would cost the State approximately $1,791,716 in the 1997-98 school year as supplemental aid for the Willingboro Township School District.