STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman BRIAN E. RUMPF
District 9 (Ocean)
Assemblyman GREGORY E. MYHRE
District 9 (Ocean)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblyman McGuckin
SYNOPSIS
Reestablishes senior citizen supplemental stabilization aid.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act providing additional State education aid to certain school districts and supplementing P.L.2007, c.260 (C.18A:7F-43 et seq.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. In addition to any State aid received pursuant to P.L.2007, c.260 (C.18A:7F-43 et seq.) or any other law, a school district in a municipality which has a population composed of more than 51% senior citizens age 65 or older according to the most recent federal decennial census shall receive senior citizen supplemental stabilization aid. Except as otherwise provided pursuant to subsection b. of this section, a qualifying school district shall receive aid equal to $500 multiplied by the district’s projected resident enrollment for the budget year.
b. In the event that a municipality that meets the criteria established in subsection a. of this section is a constituent municipality of a regional school district, the additional aid for the regional school district shall be calculated by multiplying the number of students who reside in the constituent municipality projected to enroll in the regional school district in the budget year by $500. The share of the school tax levy for the regional school district attributable to the qualifying constituent municipality calculated pursuant to N.J.S. 18A:13-23 shall be reduced by the amount of senior citizen supplemental stabilization aid received pursuant this section.
c. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 5 of P.L.1996, c.138 (C.18A:7F-5) or any other law or regulation to the contrary, the aid awarded pursuant to the provisions of subsections a. and b. of this section shall not be adjusted based on the school district’s actual resident enrollment in the budget year.
2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall first apply in the 2008-2009 school year.
STATEMENT
This bill reestablishes the State education aid category known as senior citizen supplemental stabilization aid. This aid category was originally established under the “Comprehensive Educational Improvement and Financing Act of 1996” (CEIFA), P.L.1996, c.138, and provided additional aid to school districts located in municipalities in which at least 45% of the residents were 65 years old or older. The statute authorizing this State aid category was repealed with the passage of the “School Funding Reform Act of 2008,” P.L.2007, c.260. Under this bill, $500 per pupil will be provided for students residing in municipalities in which at least 51% of the residents are 65 years old or older.
According to the 2000 federal decennial census, two municipalities, Manchester Township and Berkeley Township, meet the 51% threshold. Since Berkeley Township is one of the constituent municipalities of the Central Regional School District, the additional aid for the Berkeley students attending this district will be used to reduce the township’s share of the regional school tax apportionment.