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A1615
ASSEMBLY, No. 1615
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
�
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman SEAN T. KEAN
District 30 (Monmouth and Ocean)
SYNOPSIS
���� Makes supplemental appropriation of $3.5 million to
provide additional State school aid to Freehold Regional School District.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.
��
A
Supplement
to the annual appropriations act
for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, P.L.��� , c.� .
����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and the General Assembly
of the State of New Jersey:
���� 1.� In addition to the amounts
appropriated under P.L.��� , c.� , the annual appropriations act for the fiscal
year ending June 30, 2024, there is appropriated from the Property Tax Relief
Fund the following amount for the purpose specified:
34 DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
30 Educational, Cultural, and
Intellectual Development
31 Direct Educational Services and
Assistance
STATE AID
03-5120 Miscellaneous
Grants-In-Aid................................
$3,500,000
���������������� Total State
Aid Appropriation,���������������������������������������������
������������������ Direct
Educational Services and Assistance ..
$3,500,000
State Aid:
�������� 03��� Freehold
Regional School District.......... $3,500,000
���� 2.� This act shall take effect
immediately.
STATEMENT
���� This bill provides a
supplemental appropriation of $3.5 million to the Department of Education to
provide additional State school aid to the Freehold Regional School District.�
���� The Freehold Regional School
District has been subject to a series of State aid reductions over the past
several school years pursuant to the provisions of P.L.2018, c.67 (C.18A:7F-67
et al.), commonly referred to as S2.� Since FY 2019, the district has seen a
State aid reduction of approximately $20 million.� As a result of these
continued State aid reductions, the school district has determined that it will
no longer be able to provide courtesy busing transportation services beginning
in the 2023-2024 school year, for a savings of approximately $3.5 million.�
���� The Freehold Regional School
District operates six high schools that educate more than 10,000 students who
reside in eight communities.� The elimination of courtesy busing services will
impact about 30 percent of the students who currently receive transportation
services.� Under State law, transportation is required to be provided to high
school students who live more than 2.5 miles from their school of attendance.�
Transportation that is provided to students who live less than 2.5 miles is
considered courtesy busing.� Courtesy busing has been considered essential in
the Freehold Regional School District due to the lack of sidewalks in the
district and the hazardous conditions faced by students who walk to school.�
The purpose of the $3.5 million supplemental appropriation provided under this
bill is to allow the district to continue to provide courtesy busing
transportation.