The Senate Judiciary Committee and the Assembly Appropriations Committee met Monday, Dec. 16, and approved the following bill, which was introduced after recent announcements from several New Jersey-based newspapers that they will be discontinuing the print editions of their publications in early 2025:

Temporary Relief for Posting Public Notices S-3957/A-5151 provides that a newspaper eligible to be used by a public body in 2024 for the purpose of complying with the Open Public Meeting Act or other public notice or legal advertisement requirement, including for providing adequate notice of a meeting, and designated as an official newspaper, is deemed eligible for the same purposes from Jan. 1, 2025, to March 1, 2025, regardless of physical or digital format for the newspaper’s publication. Additionally, the amended bill would prohibit newspaper publishers from charging more for digital postings than the prices already set in statute for print publications.

The New Jersey School Boards Association testified in support of the bill at both committee meetings. At the Dec. 7 meeting of the New Jersey School Boards Association’s Delegate Assembly, the Association adopted new policy language in support of permitting boards of education to “publish all public meeting notices and requisite reference materials through electronic media in lieu of publication in physical newspapers.” In its testimony, the NJSBA expressed its appreciation that the Legislature worked quickly to resolve this urgent issue but also stressed the importance of creating a longer-term solution that would allow boards of education to continue complying with the Open Public Meetings Act as the newspaper media landscape continues to evolve.

The NJSBA expects the bill to advance to the final voting sessions of the year in both the Senate and Assembly on Thursday, Dec. 19. If passed by both houses on that date, it would go to the governor for his consideration.

Assembly Education Committee

The Assembly Education Committee met Thursday, Dec. 12. Assemblywoman Pamela Lampitt (D-6), chair of the committee, led her final meeting prior to her departure from the Legislature at the end of the year.  Lampitt has represented the 6th Legislative District since 2006 and has chaired the Assembly Education Committee since 2018, but she recently won election for the position of Camden County clerk. At Thursday’s committee meeting, she was honored by fellow committee members and members of the education advocacy community.

The committee also considered a slate of several bills, a rundown of which follows below. Unless otherwise noted, each of the measures received committee approval.

Labor Movement Instruction A-1682 requires boards of education to include instruction on United States and New Jersey labor history and the contributions of the labor movement. This instruction would be provided in an appropriate place in the curriculum for students in grades six through 12 as part of a district’s implementation of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards in social studies. Specifically, the instruction must include, at a minimum, the history of organized labor; notable strikes throughout history; unionization drives; and the collective bargaining process and existing legal protections in the workplace.

The NJSBA expressed concerns with the bill and urged the Legislature to exercise caution and restraint before adding to the growing list of statutory instructional mandates. In its testimony, the Association argued that local boards of education, the New Jersey Department of Education and the New Jersey State Board of Education, rather than the Legislature, should maintain authority over what subject areas students must learn when and at what stage of their education. The NJSBA also pointed out that the spirit of the bill is already captured in various areas of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards, rendering it unnecessary.

The bill’s counterpart in the Senate, S-1054, was approved by the Senate Education Committee in June.

Common Applications and Web Portals for Educators A-3864/S-2498/S-2505 would require the NJDOE to establish – or contract with a private vendor to establish – a web portal for educators, including substitute teachers, to submit common applications for employment at a New Jersey public school. The portal would be designed to maintain high standards for data privacy and security while increasing information sharing about employment opportunities. The bill would not prevent a school district or public school employer from using its own application process or web portal, or from requiring additional materials from applicants who apply using the NJDOE’s common application and web portal.

The NJSBA supports the bill, which was passed by the Senate in October.

Education Funding Portal A-4563 would direct the NJDOE to create, maintain, and update a New Jersey Education Funding Portal. The portal is to make available to school districts and members of the public the data inputs and calculations used by the department in formulating state school aid for all school districts. The portal would also allow individuals to estimate the effects of changes to enrollment, equalized property value and district income, and show an estimate of how these changes would impact the district’s state aid. The purpose of the bill is to help members of the public understand how school aid is calculated and to assist districts in planning more effectively and proactively.

The NJSBA supports the bill, which has not yet been introduced in the Senate.

Extending Pause on SGOs A-5077 would extend the statutory pause on the collection of student growth objective data initiated pursuant to P.L.2024, c.14, and would add a pause on the collection of administrator goals data. That 2024 law established the New Jersey Educator Evaluation Review Task Force and ceased the collection of new data for SGO purposes during the current school year. The purpose of the bill is to extend the pause in the collection of SGO data and administrator goals data until the completion of possible revisions to the evaluation process pursuant to recommendations from the Task Force’s final report issued in September. Under the amended bill, the collection of SGO data and administrator goals data would be paused until the next expiration and subsequent readoption of current educator evaluation regulations (N.J.A.C.6A:10).

The NJSBA supports the bill, which has not yet been introduced in the Senate.

Recognizing Paraprofessionals AJR-101/SJR-76 designates the second Friday of December of each year as “Paraprofessional and School-Related Personnel in Our Schools Day” in New Jersey to recognize the contributions of paraprofessionals and school-related personnel.

The NJSBA supports the resolution. The Senate passed the resolution in October.

Therapy Dog Pilot Program A-1165 would establish a three-year pilot program to assess the academic and health benefits associated with the use of therapy dogs in public elementary school wellness programs. Under the bill, a school district that wants to participate in the pilot program would be required to submit an application to the commissioner. The commissioner would select two districts in each of the southern, central, and northern regions of the state to participate and seek a cross section of school districts from urban, suburban and rural areas of the state. The commissioner would provide pilot districts with guidance regarding the use of therapy dogs in schools. Within three years, the commissioner would submit a report that evaluates the effectiveness of the pilot program in improving the academic performance and health outcomes of students in elementary schools.

The NJSBA supports the bill, which was up for discussion only and therefore did not receive a vote. Its companion in the Senate, S-1253, was approved by the Senate Education Committee in February.

Assembly Appropriations Committee

In addition to the previously mentioned bill regarding public notices, the Assembly Appropriations Committee met Monday, Dec. 16, and approved the following education-related bill:

School Board Election Petitions A-5117 would increase the number of signatures required for candidates to be eligible to be placed on primary, general, nonpartisan municipal and school election ballots. With respect to boards of education, the bill would require candidates for a school election to collect 25 signatures on their direct nominating petitions, an increase from 10. The bill also makes updates to nominating petition requirements for other elected offices.

The NJSBA is monitoring the bill, which is up for an Assembly floor vote Thursday, Dec. 19. Its Senate counterpart, S-3994, is scheduled to be considered by the Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism and Historic Preservation Committee, also on Dec. 19.

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Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism and Historic Preservation Committee

The Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism and Historic Preservation Committee met  Monday, Dec. 16, and approved the following education-related bills:

TPAF Reenrollment Changes A-1675/S-2078 extends the length of time a member of the teachers’ pension system (Teachers’ Pension and Annuity Fund, or TPAF) can discontinue their service and still maintain their membership in the system. Under current law, membership in the TPAF ceases if an individual discontinues service for more than two years. This bill extends the period of discontinuance to 10 years. The bill also extends the length of time a member who left service for certain qualifying reasons (e.g., due to a reduction in force) may return to service and includes among the qualifying reasons those who voluntarily left service with 10 or more years of service credit. Under current law, membership in the TPAF may continue if such a member returns to service within a period of 10 years from the date of discontinuance from service. This bill extends the period of discontinuance to 15 years. Members who return to service under the terms of this bill will be placed in the member’s pension tier at the time of their original termination of service.

The NJSBA is monitoring the bill. The legislation would have no direct impact on school district finances, as the state pays the employer share of TPAF costs on behalf of boards of education. The bill also explicitly states that there will be no additional contributions imposed on the reenrolled member or the member’s employee. The Assembly passed the bill in June.

Pension Boost for Extracurriculars A-3323/S-3713 requires pay for extracurricular activities to be included in compensation for a teacher’s pension (i.e., TPAF) purposes. Such extra pay is not included in the current pension compensation definition. Under the bill, extracurricular duties include preparation for and involvement in public performances, contests, athletic competitions, demonstrations, displays and club activities.

The NJSBA is monitoring the bill, which the Assembly passed in June.

Senate Economic Growth Committee

The Senate Economic Growth Committee met Thursday, Dec. 12, and approved the following education-related bill:

“Farm to School” Grant Program S-1637 would establish a $4.5 million grant program in the New Jersey Department of Agriculture to reimburse school districts for the costs of expanding local food procurement activities. The program would provide reimbursements to school districts to allow them to implement local food procurement practices to increase the types or amounts of local foods being procured for students, the meal periods during which such local foods are served to students, or the total number or type of students being offered such local foods, during either the school year or the summer months, or both. School districts would be eligible to receive program funding based upon submission of an attestation form.

The NJSBA supports the bill. Its companion in the Assembly, A-3742, has not yet moved.

Committee Holds Hearing on Potential Charter School Reform

The Senate Education Committee met Monday, Dec. 16, to receive testimony from invited speakers regarding the Charter School Program Act of 1995. The NJSBA was among several individuals and organizations invited to provide testimony. In its testimony, the NJSBA touched on various topics, including: the NJSBA’s relationship with charter schools and the and services it provides to them through the Association Membership Program for Charter Schools; the need to alleviate budgetary tensions between traditional school districts and charter schools; NJSBA-mandated training programs for board members and trustees; and a call for enhanced transparency and accountability for charter schools, particularly as with respect to charter led compensation packages. The NJSBA recommended the establishment of a task force consisting of a diverse group of stakeholders to evaluate the 30-year-old charter school law and its implementation.

Other individuals and organizations that provided testimony included:

  • New Jersey Public Charter School Association.
  • New Jersey Education Association.
  • New Jersey Children’s Foundation.
  • Dr. Mark Weber.
  • Dr. Sarah Cohodes.
  • Dr. Margaret Macke Raymond.
  • American Federation of Teachers of New Jersey.
  • New Jersey Business & Industry Association.

An archived recording of the committee meeting is available on the Legislature’s website.

Bill Signed into Law

On Thursday, Dec. 12, Gov. Phil Murphy signed the following education-related bill into law:

Type 1 Diabetes Awareness A-4148/S-3057 (P.L.2024, c.103) requires the New Jersey Department of Health, in consultation with the New Jersey Department of Education, to develop informational materials on Type 1 diabetes. The bill also requires that the materials be posted to the New Jersey Department of Education’s website. School districts are to make the informational materials available to the parents or guardians of the students enrolled in the district.

The NJSBA supported the bill, which went into effect immediately upon the governor’s signature.

To view the full text of any of the bills summarized above, please visit the New Jersey Legislature’s website.