Provides supplemental transportation aid to certain districts participating in interdistrict public school choice program.

A2037

ASSEMBLY, No. 2037

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman SHAMA A. HAIDER

District 37 (Bergen)

Assemblyman MICHAEL VENEZIA

District 34 (Essex)

Assemblywoman ELLEN J. PARK

District 37 (Bergen)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman Reynolds-Jackson

SYNOPSIS

���� Provides supplemental transportation aid to certain
districts participating in interdistrict public school choice program.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

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

��

An Act
concerning interdistrict public school choice
transportation aid and supplementing P.L.2010, c.65 (C.18A:36B-14 et seq.).

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

���� 1.��� a.� Notwithstanding the
provisions of section 9 of P.L.2010, c.65 (C.18A:36B-22) to the contrary, a
choice district located in a city of the second class, which district has been
directed by the New Jersey Supreme Court to engage in efforts to desegregate
the student population, shall be responsible for providing transportation,
including the organization of bus routes and bidding for transportation
services, or aid-in-lieu-of transportation, to an elementary school choice
pupil who lives more than two miles from the choice district school of
attendance and to a secondary school choice pupil who lives more than two and
one-half miles from the choice district school of attendance, provided the
choice district school of attendance is not more than 20 miles from the
residence of the pupil.

���� b.��� Notwithstanding the
provisions of subsection a. of this section, the sending district shall receive
State aid for transportation calculated pursuant to section 15 of P.L.2007,
c.260 (C.18A:7F-57) for a student transported or receiving aid-in-lieu-of transportation
pursuant to subsection a. of this section.� The sending district shall pay
directly to the choice district the State aid for transportation, or
aid-in-lieu-of transportation, received pursuant to this section for a student
transported pursuant to subsection a. of this section.

���� c.��� (1)� Notwithstanding any
law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, the choice district responsible for
transportation pursuant to subsection a. of this section shall be eligible to
receive supplemental State aid for transportation when the total costs of
providing transportation, or aid-in-lieu of transportation, from the sending
districts to the choice district exceeds the amount of State aid for
transportation the sending district receives for those students pursuant to
subsection b. of this section.�

���� (2)� A choice district shall
be eligible to receive supplemental State aid pursuant to the provisions of
this subsection if the choice district is able to demonstrate to the
Commissioner of Education that the bus routes utilized to transport pupils from
sending districts to the choice district utilize cost efficient methods, such
as centralized pick-ups and drop-offs and, to the extent possible, bus routes
that include students from multiple sending districts.

���� (3)� The choice district
seeking supplemental State aid for transportation pursuant to this subsection
shall annually report to the Department of Education at the end of each school
year the cost of providing transportation to students from sending districts that
exceeds the amount of transportation aid the choice district receives from the
sending district pursuant to subsection b. of this section.� The department
shall reimburse the choice district for the additional costs reported pursuant
to this paragraph.

���� 2.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.

STATEMENT

���� This bill provides
supplemental transportation aid to certain districts participating in the
interdistrict public school choice program.

���� Under the bill, a choice
district located in a city of the second class, which district has been
directed by the New Jersey Supreme Court to engage in efforts to desegregate
the student population, is responsible for providing transportation, including
the organization of bus routes and bidding for transportation services, or
aid-in-lieu-of transportation, to certain elementary and secondary school
pupils to attend the choice district.� Under the bill, the sending district
will receive State aid for transportation for those students transported to the
choice district.� The sending district will then pay directly to the choice
district the State aid for transportation, or aid-in-lieu-of amount, received
by the sending district under the bill.

���� The bill also provides
supplemental State aid for transportation for a choice district responsible for
transporting students from a sending district pursuant to the provisions of the
bill when the total costs of providing transportation from the sending districts
to the choice district exceeds the amount of State aid for transportation the
sending district receives pursuant to the bill.� To be eligible to receive the
supplemental State aid for transportation, the choice district is required to
demonstrate to the commissioner that the bus routes will utilize cost efficient
methods.� The choice district is to annually report to the Department of
Education at the end of each school year the cost of providing transportation
to students from a sending district that exceed the amount of funds the choice
district receives from the sending district under the bill.� The department is
required to reimburse the choice district for the additional costs reported.