Requires certain ratios of school library media specialists to students in public schools.

A1654

ASSEMBLY, No. 1654

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman MITCHELLE DRULIS

District 16 (Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex and Somerset)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywomen Brennan, Collazos-Gill and Rowan

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires certain ratios of school library media
specialists to students in public schools.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.

��

An Act

concerning school library media specialists
employed in public schools and supplementing chapter 27 of Title 18A of the New
Jersey Statutes.

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

���� 1.��� a.�� (1)���� In each
public school having an enrollment of less than 300 students on October 15 of
the prior school year, the board of education shall employ, at a minimum, one
half-time staff member who holds an educational services certificate with a
school library media specialist endorsement.

���� (2)�� In each public school
having an enrollment of between 300 and 1,499 students on October 15 of the
prior school year, the board of education shall employ, at a minimum, one
full-time staff member who holds an educational services certificate with a
school library media specialist endorsement.

���� (3)�� In each public school
having an enrollment of 1,500 or more students on October 15 of the prior
school year, the board of education shall employ, at a minimum, two full-time
staff members who hold an educational services certificate with a school library
media specialist endorsement.

���� b.��� The Commissioner of
Education may, upon application by a board of education, waive the staffing
requirements established pursuant to subsection a. of this section for up to
one school year if the application demonstrates that the school was unable to
find a certified school library media specialist and that an offer of
employment was made to a certified school library media specialist. The
commissioner may not grant more than two waivers within a period of five school
years.

���� c.���� In addition to the
staffing requirements established pursuant to subsection a. of this section, a
public school having an enrollment of 500 or more students on October 15 of the
prior school year shall employ, at a minimum, one full-time staff member to serve
as a library clerk, and shall employ one additional full-time staff member to
serve as a library clerk for each additional 500 students enrolled in the
school.

���� 2.��� a.�� A school library
media specialist employed pursuant to section 1 of this act in a secondary
school in the district shall:

���� (1)�� in a secondary school
having an enrollment of less than 100 students on October 15 of the prior
school year, devote at least one period in each school day to school library
work;

���� (2)�� in a secondary school
having an enrollment of between 100 and 299 students on October 15 of the prior
school year, devote at least two periods in each school day to school library
work;

���� (3)�� in a secondary school
having an enrollment of between 300 and 499 students on October 15 of the prior
school year, devote at least one-half of each school day to school library
work;

���� (4)�� in a secondary school
having an enrollment of between 500 and 699 students on October 15 of the prior
school year, devote at least five periods in each school day to school library
work; and

���� (5)�� in a secondary school
having an enrollment of 700 or more students on October 15 of the prior school
year, devote the full school day to school library work.

���� b.��� As used in this section,
�school library work� means the delivery of instruction in information literacy
skills; the development and coordination of school library media programs and
resources; and the delivery of instruction in the evaluation, selection,
organization, distribution, creation, and utilization of school library media.

���� 3.��� This act shall take
effect immediately and shall first be applicable to the first full school year
following enactment.

STATEMENT

���� This bill establishes minimum
ratios of school library media specialists to students required in school
districts.� The ratios are:

�

in each public school having an enrollment of less than 300
students on October 15 of the prior school year, the board of education is
required to employ, at a minimum, one half-time staff member who holds an educational
services certificate with a school library media specialist endorsement;

�

in each public school having an enrollment of between 300 and
1,499 students on October 15 of the prior school year, the board of education
is required to employ, at a minimum, one full-time staff member who holds an
educational services certificate with a school library media specialist
endorsement; and

�

in each public school having an enrollment of 1,500 or more
students on October 15 of the prior school year, the board of education is
required to employ, at a minimum, two full-time staff members who hold an educational
services certificate with a school library media specialist endorsement.

���� The bill specifies how much
time in each school day the school library media specialist is required to
devote to school library work in public secondary schools, which is dependent
upon the enrollment in the school.

���� The bill also requires a
public school having an enrollment of 500 or more students on October 15 of the
prior school year to employ a minimum of one full-time staff member to serve as
a library clerk, and to employ one additional full-time staff member to serve
as a library clerk for each additional 500 students enrolled in the school.�����������

���� In order to be college- and
career-ready in the twenty-first century, students must be able to use a wide
range of information resources including books, media, technology, and the
Internet.� All students must be able to locate, evaluate, and interpret information
accurately for academic and professional success.

���� A qualified school library
media specialist is uniquely suited through educational training and
professional development to provide this educational foundation for all
students.� Many states currently require school library media specialists in
their schools and most use student enrollment to determine the number of school
library media specialists the schools employ.