S4259

An Act establishing a grant program to support performing arts education in school districts.

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

1. The Commissioner of Education shall develop and administer a four-year Performing Arts Education Improvement Grant Program. The purpose of the program shall be to award grants to school districts to bolster educational programming and academic enrichment opportunities in the performing arts. The commissioner shall consult with the New Jersey State Council on the Arts in the Department of State regarding the design and administration of the grant program.

2. a. The Commissioner of Education shall award grants, within the limit of funds appropriated to or otherwise made available for the program, to selected school districts to be used for the development and improvement of educational opportunities in the performing arts and to assist districts in implementing comprehensive performing arts education programs that are consistent with the New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Visual and Performing Arts.

b. A school district that wants to apply for a grant shall submit an application to the commissioner in a manner and form to be determined by the commissioner. A school district shall demonstrate in its application that a majority of the schools in the district have high concentrations of multilingual learners, students in resource family care, students from rural areas of the State, or at-risk pupils as defined pursuant to section 3 of P.L.2007, c.260 (C.18A:7F-45). In addition, the application shall include:

(1) an overview of the school district’s current educational offerings and programming in the performing arts;

(2) a description of the school district’s need for additional funds to develop or enhance performing arts education programs;

(3) details on performing arts programming that may be expanded or created following the school district’s receipt of a grant, including related costs, any other funds that will be used to supplement the school district’s proposal, and the projected demand for any expanded or new programming;

(4) the number of students that may be accommodated in a performing arts program that is expanded or newly created as a result of the school district’s receipt of a grant;

(5) a plan to sustain any expanded or new performing arts education programs beyond the period of grant funding using other State, federal, and local resources; and

(6) any other information the commissioner deems appropriate.

c. The commissioner shall select 10 school districts to receive grants under the grant program and determine the amount of each grant award. The commissioner may award multi-year grants.

d. A school district selected for a grant under the grant program may use the proceeds of the grant for purposes including, but not limited to, the:

(1) purchase of performing arts-related materials, equipment, and supplies;

(2) provision of professional development opportunities and other training to performing arts teachers currently employed by the school district;

(3) development of programs to assist students interested in the performing arts in navigating the transition from elementary school, middle school, and high school, as well as to potential higher education opportunities or careers in the performing arts; and

(4) the development of tutoring and extracurricular programs in the performing arts.

3. a. At the conclusion of each school year in which a school district receives a grant under the Performing Arts Education Improvement Grant Program, the school district shall submit a report to the Commissioner of Education containing, at a minimum:

(1) the number of performing arts education programs that were expanded or created as the result of a grant, including a breakdown of student participation by grade level and descriptions of each program;

(2) an explanation of how grant funds were used to expand or create performing arts education programs; and

(3) a narrative description of the benefits of the receipt of a grant.

b. Following the conclusion of the grant program, the commissioner shall submit a report to the Governor, and the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), that contains a summary of the information submitted to the commissioner pursuant to subsection a. of this section. The report shall also include the commissioner’s recommendation on the advisability of the program’s continuation and expansion to additional school districts in the State.

4. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill requires the Commissioner of Education to develop and administer a four-year Performing Arts Education Improvement Grant Program. The purpose of the program is to award grants to school districts to bolster educational programming and academic enrichment opportunities in the performing arts. The commissioner is required to consult with the New Jersey State Council on the Arts regarding the design and administration of the grant program.

Pursuant to the bill, a school district that wants to apply for a grant is required to submit an application, which is to include certain information related to the current state of performing arts education in the district and details on how the district plans to use grant funds to enhance performing arts educational programming. In addition, an applicant school district is required to demonstrate in its application that a majority of the schools in the district have high concentrations of multilingual learners, students in resource family care, students from rural areas, or at-risk students.

The bill requires the commissioner to select 10 school districts to receive grants under the grant program and determine the amount of each grant award. The commissioner may award multi-year grants. A school district selected for a grant may use the grant proceeds for purposes including the: purchase of performing arts-related materials, equipment, and supplies; provision of professional development opportunities and other training to performing arts teachers currently employed by the school district; and development of programs to assist students interested in the performing arts in navigating the transition from elementary school, middle school, and high school, as well as to potential higher education opportunities or careers in the performing arts; and the development of tutoring and extracurricular programs in the performing arts.

Finally, the bill requires school districts receiving grants to annually report certain program participation information to the commissioner. At the conclusion of the four-year grant program, the commissioner is to provide a report to the Governor and the Legislature that includes a summary of the information submitted to the commissioner by each participating school district. This report is also to include the commissioner’s recommendation on the advisability of the program’s continuation and expansion to additional school districts in the State.