ASSEMBLY, No. 297

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

215th LEGISLATURE

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2012 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman  JOHN F. AMODEO

District 2 (Atlantic)

Assemblyman  CHRIS A. BROWN

District 2 (Atlantic)

SYNOPSIS

     Limits tuition rate charged by Atlantic City School District to per pupil amounts used to determine State school aid.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel

An Act concerning the determination of tuition rates in certain school districts in sending-receiving relationships and amending N.J.S.18A:38-19.

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

     1.  N.J.S.18A:38-19 is amended to read as follows:

     18A:38-19.  Whenever the pupils of any school district are attending public school in another district, within or without the State, pursuant to this article, the board of education of the receiving district shall determine a tuition rate to be paid by the board of education of the sending district to an amount not in excess of the actual cost per pupil as determined under rules prescribed by the commissioner and approved by the State board [, and such] ; except that in the case in which the receiving district is comprised of a municipality in which casino gaming has been legalized, the board of education shall determine a tuition rate for an individual pupil to be paid by the sending district in an amount not in excess of the lesser of:

a. the actual cost per pupil as determined under rules prescribed by the commissioner and approved by the State board, or;

b. (1) for a student who does not receive special education services, the base per pupil amount established pursuant to section 7 of P.L.2007, c.260 (C.18A:7F-49), adjusted by the appropriate grade level weight established pursuant to that section, and, as appropriate, the at-risk weight, the bilingual pupil weight, and the combination pupil weight established pursuant to section 9 of P.L.2007, c.260 (C.18A:7F-51);

(2) for a student who receives special education services, the sum of the excess cost for general special education services pupils established pursuant to section 9 of P.L.2007, c.260 (C.18A:7F-51) and the base per pupil amount established pursuant to section 7 of P.L.2007, c.260 (C.18A:7F-49), adjusted by the appropriate grade level weight established pursuant to that section, and, as appropriate, the at-risk weight, the bilingual pupil weight, and the combination pupil weight established pursuant to section 9 of P.L.2007, c.260 (C.18A:7F-51).

The tuition shall be paid by the board secretary or treasurer of school moneys, as appropriate, of the sending district out of any moneys in his hands available for current expenses of the district upon order issued by the board of education of the sending district, signed by its president and secretary, in favor of the board secretary
or treasurer of school moneys, as appropriate, of the receiving district.

(cf: P.L.2010, c.39, s.26)

     2.  This act shall take effect immediately and shall first apply to the first full school year following the date of enactment.

STATEMENT

     This bill provides that the tuition rate charged by a receiving school district that is comprised of a municipality in which casino gambling has been legalized may not exceed the receiving district’s base per pupil amount and categorical aid per pupil amounts calculated under the “School Funding Reform Act of 2008” (SFRA) P.L.2007, c.260.  Under current law, the tuition rate is based on the receiving district’s actual cost per pupil.  The provisions of this bill would be applicable to the Atlantic City School District.