A district that experienced a reduction in state aid or a district confronting a structural budgetary imbalance in fiscal year 2023 must apply for stabilization aid by Sept. 16, according to an advisory from the New Jersey Department of Education.

The stabilization aid is, in part, intended to support plans for restructuring school district operations to align with the state funding levels provided under P.L. 2019, Chapter 67. Any district applying for stabilization aid must provide a written plan explaining how it intends to fund operations in future years in which the district does not receive similar supplemental state aid.

Districts must use the stabilization aid application system in NJDOE Homeroom to apply for stabilization aid. To access the system, the district’s Homeroom administrator must assign district users. The application page consists of four sections:

  1. A button at the top of the screen allows the district to print a receipt of documents or files that were successfully submitted. The receipt lists the file names with the date and time each was submitted.
  2. This section contains two files for the district to download. One file explains the application process. The second file contains a list of the required submission files that must be uploaded in the stabilization aid application system.
  3. Required submission templates. This section contains submission files that must be uploaded in the department-established format. There are also other files that must be submitted in a district-determined format, as detailed in the required submission list in the guidance section. This section contains only those files with a required format.
  4. This section is where the district will upload the required stabilization aid application files. The names of the uploaded files must match the titles listed on the required submissions document found in the guidance section of the system, or the file will not be accepted by the system.

Districts should refer to the “Guidance on Application for 2022-23 Stabilization Aid” document in the guidance section of the stabilization aid application system for detailed instructions on the application process.

Questions related to the stabilization aid application can be sent here.