Read the full stored bill text
A2277
ASSEMBLY, No. 2277
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
�
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman MARGIE DONLON, M.D.
District 11 (Monmouth)
Assemblywoman VERLINA REYNOLDS-JACKSON
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
SYNOPSIS
���� Provides increased flexibility in school district
enrollment for military-connected students.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.
��
An Act
concerning military-connected students,
supplementing chapter 6 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes and amending
P.L.1979, c.207 and P.L.2010, c.65.
����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:
���� 1. �(New section) �a. �Notwithstanding
any other provision of law to the contrary, a school district that participates
in an inter-local agreement for the enrollment of students shall provide a
military-connected student:
���� (1) �a �waiver from any
requirement of the agreement that a student reside in a district for a certain
length of time before applying for enrollment in a school that is subject to
the agreement;
���� (2) �preference for enrollment
in a school that is subject to the agreement above other students;
���� (3) �protection from
discrimination in its admission policies or practices on the basis of the
student�s status as a military-connected student; and
���� (4) �guaranteed admission to
any school that is subject to the agreement regardless of the capacity of the
district, if the parent or guardian can provide military orders or other
evidence documenting the parent or guardian�s temporary transfer for more than 30
consecutive days.
���� b.� As used in this section,
�military-connected student� means a student enrolled in a public school in the
State who is a dependent of:
���� (1) �a member of the armed
forces of the United States, including the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps,
Coast Guard, and Space Force;
���� (2) �a member of the National
Guard;
���� (3) �a member of any other
reserve component of the armed forces;
���� (4) �retirees and those
separated honorably from the armed forces;
���� (5) �a member or veteran who
is medically discharged for one year or longer after the date of separation;
���� (6) �a member who perished
while on active duty;
���� (7) �a uniformed member of the
Commissioned Corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and
United States Public Health Services;
���� (8) �a civilian employee of
the Department of Defense; and�
���� (9) �a school employee who
works in a school district in which federal impact aid makes up a significant
portion of the district budget as a result of its proximity to a military
installation.
���� 2.� Section 19 of P.L.1979,
c.207 (C.18A:7B-12) is amended to read as follows:�
���� 19.� For school funding
purposes, the Commissioner of Education shall determine district of residence
as follows:
���� a. (1) In the case of a child
placed in a resource family home prior to the effective date of P.L.2010, c.69
(C.30:4C-26b et al.), the district of residence shall be the district in which
the resource family parents reside.� If such a child in a resource family home
is subsequently placed in a State facility or by a State agency, the district
of residence of the child shall then be determined as if no such resource
family placement had occurred.
���� (2)�� In the case of a child
placed in a resource family home on or after the effective date of P.L.2010,
c.69 (C.30:4C-26b et al.), the district of residence shall be the present
district of residence of the parent or guardian with whom the child lived prior
to the most recent placement in a resource family home.
���� b.��� The district of
residence for children who are in residential State facilities, or who have
been placed by State agencies in group homes, skill development homes, private
schools or out-of-State facilities, shall be the present district of residence
of the parent or guardian with whom the child lived prior to his most recent
admission to a State facility or most recent placement by a State agency.
���� c.���� The district of
residence for children whose parent or guardian temporarily moves from one
school district to another as the result of being homeless shall be the
district in which the parent or guardian last resided prior to becoming
homeless.� For the purpose of this amendatory and supplementary act,
"homeless" shall mean an individual who temporarily lacks a fixed,
regular and adequate residence.
���� d.��� If the district of
residence cannot be determined according to the criteria contained herein, if
the criteria contained herein identify a district of residence outside of the
State, or if the child has resided in a domestic violence shelter, homeless shelter,
or transitional living facility located outside of the district of residence
for more than one year, the State shall assume fiscal responsibility for the
tuition of the child.� The tuition shall equal the approved per pupil cost
established pursuant to section 24 of P.L.1996, c.138 (C.18A:7F-24).� This
amount shall be appropriated in the same manner as other State aid under this
act.� The Department of Education shall pay the amount to the Department of
Human Services, the Department of Children and Families, the Department of
Corrections or the Youth Justice Commission established pursuant to section 2
of P.L.1995, c.284 (C.52:17B-170) or, in the case of a homeless child or a
child in a family resource home, the Department of Education shall pay to the
school district in which the child is enrolled the weighted base per pupil
amount calculated pursuant to section 7 of P.L.2007, c.260 (C.18A:7F-49) and
the appropriate security categorical aid per pupil and special education
categorical aid per pupil.
���� e.���� If the State has
assumed fiscal responsibility for the tuition of a child in a private
educational facility approved by the Department of Education to serve children
who are classified as needing special education services, the department shall
pay to the Department of Human Services, the Department of Children and
Families or the Youth Justice Commission, as appropriate, the aid specified in
subsection d. of this section and in addition, such aid as required to make the
total amount of aid equal to the actual cost of the tuition.
����
f. �In the event that a
military-connected child relocates outside of the child�s original district of
residence, the parent or guardian shall retain the option to maintain the
child�s enrollment in the original district of residence for the remainder of
the school year, or to begin enrollment in the new school district in which the
family resides.��
����
In the event that a
military-connected child relocates outside of the child�s original district of
residence during the 11th grade, the parent or guardian shall retain the option
to maintain the child�s enrollment in the original district of residence until
the child�s graduation from high school, or to begin enrollment in the new
school district in which the child resides.��
����
In the event that a
military-connected student cannot access temporary living facilities or
military installation housing within 30 days of arriving at the duty station,
the parent or guardian shall have the option to enroll their child in a school
that serves families that reside on the military installation within ten days
of arrival on duty station.
����
In the event that a
military-connected child resides in a school district that is found to satisfy
less than 80 percent of the quality performance indicators in the instruction
and program component of school district effectiveness under the New Jersey Quality
Single Accountability Continuum, the parent or guardian shall have the option
to enroll their child in a school that serves families that reside on the
military installation.
����
As used in this subsection,
�military-connected child� means a student enrolled in a public school in the
State who is a dependent of:
����
(1) �a member of the armed
forces of the United States, including the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps,
Coast Guard, and Space Force;
����
(2) �a member of the
National Guard;
����
(3) �a member of any other
reserve component of the armed forces;
����
(4) �retirees and those
separated honorably from the armed forces;
����
(5) �a member or veteran
who is medically discharged for one year or longer after the date of
separation;
����
(6) �a member who perished
while on active duty;
����
(7) �a uniformed member of
the Commissioned Corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
and United States Public Health Services;
����
(8) �a civilian employee of
the Department of Defense; and�
����
(9) �a school employee who
works in a school district in which federal impact aid makes up a significant
portion of the district budget, as determined by the Commissioner of Education,
as a result of its proximity to a military installation.
(cf: P.L.2025, c.35, s.33)
���� 3. �Section 7 of P.L.2010,
c.65 (C.18A:36B-20) is amended to read as follows:
���� 7. �a. �The parents or
guardian of a student shall notify the sending district of the student's
intention to participate in the choice program and shall submit an application
to the choice district, indicating the school the student wishes to attend, no
later than the date specified by the commissioner.� To be eligible to
participate in the program, a student shall be enrolled at the time of
application in grades preschool through 12 in a school of the sending district
and have attended school in the sending district for at least one full year
immediately preceding enrollment in the choice district, provided that a
"sending district" includes any school district that a student in a
particular district of residence is required by law to attend.� The one-year
requirement shall not apply to a student enrolling in preschool or kindergarten
in the choice district, if that student has a sibling enrolled in the choice
district
, or to a military-connected student
.� Openings in a designated
school of a choice district shall be on a space-available basis, and if more
applications are received for a designated school than there are spaces
available, a lottery shall be held to determine the selection of students.�
Preference for enrollment may be given to siblings of students who are enrolled
in a designated school
and military-connected students
.
���� If there is an opening in a
designated school of a choice district and there is no student who is enrolled
in a sending district who meets the attendance requirements of this subsection,
including a student who has been placed on a waiting list based on a lottery
held in the choice district, then the choice district may fill that opening
with a public school student who does not meet the attendance requirements of
this subsection or a nonpublic school student.
���� b.��� A choice district may
evaluate a prospective student on the student's interest in the program offered
by a designated school.� The district shall not discriminate in its admission
policies or practices on the basis of athletic ability, intellectual aptitude,
English language proficiency, status as a� person with a disability,
status
as a military-connected student,
or any basis prohibited by State or
federal law.
���� c.���� A choice district shall
not prohibit the enrollment of a student based upon a determination that the
additional cost of educating the student would exceed the amount of additional
State aid received as a result of the student's enrollment.� A choice district
may reject the application for enrollment of a student who has been classified
as eligible for special education services pursuant to chapter 46 of Title 18A
of the New Jersey Statutes if that student's individualized education program
could not be implemented in the district, or if the enrollment of that student
would require the district to fundamentally alter the nature of its educational
program, or would create an undue financial or administrative burden on the
district.
���� d.��� A student whose
application is rejected by a choice district shall be provided with a reason
for the rejection in the letter of notice.� The appeal of a rejection notice
may be made to the commissioner.
���� e.���� Once a student is
enrolled in a designated school, the student shall not be required to reapply
each school year for enrollment in any designated school of the choice district
and shall continue to be permitted to be enrolled until graduation.� A student
shall be permitted to transfer back to a school of the sending district or may
apply to a different choice district during the next application period.
���� f.���� A choice district shall
accept all of the credits earned toward graduation by a student in the schools
of the sending district.
���� g.��� A choice district shall
notify a sending district upon the enrollment of a choice student resident in
that district.
����
h. �A military-connected
student shall be eligible for admission to any choice district to which the
student applies regardless of the capacity of the district if the parent or
guardian can provide military orders or other evidence documenting the parent
or guardian�s temporary transfer for more than 30 consecutive days.
����
As used in this section,
�military-connected student� means a student enrolled in a public school in the
State who is a dependent of:
����
(1) �a member of the armed
forces of the United States, including the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps,
Coast Guard, and Space Force;
����
(2) �a member of the
National Guard;
����
(3) �a member of any other
reserve component of the armed forces;
����
(4) �retirees and those
separated honorably from the armed forces;
����
(5) �a member or veteran
who is medically discharged for one year or longer after the date of
separation;
����
(6) �a member who perished
while on active duty;
����
(7) �a uniformed member of
the Commissioned Corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
and United States Public Health Services;
����
(8) �a civilian employee of
the Department of Defense; and�
����
(9) �a school employee who
works in a school district in which �federal impact aid makes up a significant
portion of the district budget, as determined by the Commissioner of Education,
as a result of its proximity to a military installation.�
(cf: P.L.2017, c.131, s.28)
���� 4. �This act shall take effect
immediately.�
STATEMENT
����� This bill provides increased flexibility in school
district enrollment for military-connected students.� As used in the bill,
�military-connected student� (or �military-connected child�) means a student
enrolled in a public school in the State who is a dependent of:
����� (1) a member of the armed forces of the United
States, including the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and
Space Force;
����� (2) a member of the National Guard;
����� (3) a member of any other reserve component of the
armed forces;
����� (4) retirees and those separated honorably from the
armed forces;
����� (5) a member or veteran who is medically discharged
for one year or longer after the date of separation;
����� (6) a member who perished while on active duty;
����� (7) a uniformed member of the Commissioned Corps of
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and United States Public
Health Services;
����� (8) a civilian employee of the Department of Defense;
and
����� (9) a school employee who works in a school district
in which federal impact aid makes up a significant portion of the district
budget, as determined by the Commissioner of Education, as a result of its
proximity to a military installation.
����� The bill provides that in the event that a
military-connected child relocates outside of the child�s original district of
residence, the parent or guardian will retain the option to maintain the
child�s enrollment in the original district of residence for the remainder of
the school year, or to begin enrollment in the new school district in which the
family resides.� Additionally, the bill provides that in the event that a
military-connected child relocates outside of the child�s original district of
residence during the 11th grade, the parent or guardian will retain the option
to maintain the child�s enrollment in the original district of residence until
the child�s graduation from high school, or to begin enrollment in the new
school district in which the child resides.
����� The bill also provides that, in the event that a
military-connected student cannot access temporary living facilities or
military installation housing within 30 days of arriving at the duty station,
the parent or guardian will have the option to enroll their child in a school
that serves families that reside on the military installation within ten days
of arrival on duty station.� In the event that a military-connected child
resides in a school district that is found to satisfy less than 80 percent of the
quality performance indicators in the instruction and program component of
school district effectiveness under the New Jersey Quality Single
Accountability Continuum, the parent or guardian will have the option to enroll
their child in a school that serves families that reside on the military
installation.
����� The bill amends the �Interdistrict Public School
Choice Program Act� and requires a school district that participates in an
inter-local agreement for the enrollment of students provide a
military-connected student:
����� (1) a waiver from any requirement of the agreement
that a student reside in a district for a certain length of time before
applying for enrollment in a school that is subject to the agreement;
����� (2) preference for enrollment in a school that is
subject to the agreement above other students;
����� (3) protection from discrimination in its admission
policies or practices on the basis of the student�s status as a
military-connected student; and
����� (4) guaranteed admission to any school that is
subject to the agreement regardless of the capacity of the district, if the
parent or guardian can provide military orders or other evidence documenting
the parent or guardian�s temporary transfer for more than 30 consecutive days.