Establishes the "School District Shared Services Task Force."

A4148

ASSEMBLY, No. 4148

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 19, 2026

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman� CAROL A. MURPHY

District 7 (Burlington)

SYNOPSIS

���� Establishes the �School District Shared Services Task
Force.�

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act
establishing the �
School District Shared
Services Task Force� to
study the utilization of
shared services among school districts and to recommend measures for improving
shared services for school districts.

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

���� 1.��� The Legislature finds
and declares:

���� a.���� With the inevitability
of duplication of services among school districts, shared services promote cost
efficiency and programming equity; and

���� b.��� Shared services allows
school districts to offer choice to students and parents, which in many
districts, would not otherwise be available due to fiscal restraints; and

���� c.���� Despite the State
allocating funds to assist municipalities looking to promote and support local
shared services and school consolidation studies, there exists limited
information regarding how the hundreds of school districts across the State are
working with other school districts, municipalities, and counties to provide
services to students and parents; and

���� d.��� It is therefore
necessary, appropriate, and in the public interest for the State of New Jersey
to establish a task force that studies how school districts are utilizing
shared services and recommends to the Legislature measures for improving the
efficiency and delivery of shared services for school districts.

���� 2.��� a.� There is established
the �School District Shared Services Task Force.�� The purpose of the task
force is to study how school districts are utilizing shared services and to
develop recommendations that improve the efficiency and delivery of shared services
for school districts.

���� b.��� The task force shall
consist of 9 members as follows:

���� (1)��
the
Commissioner of Education, or a designee, who shall serve ex officio;

���� (2)�� the Commissioner of
Community Affairs, or a designee, who shall serve ex officio;

���� (3)�� one member appointed by
the President of the Senate, one member appointed by the Minority Leader of the
Senate, one member appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly and one
member appointed by the Minority Leader of the General Assembly, all of whom
shall be members of the public with demonstrated expertise in issues relating
to the work of the task force; and

���� (4)�� three public members,
who shall be appointed by the Governor no later than the 30th day after the
effective date of this act, as follows: one member upon the recommendation of
the New Jersey League of Municipalities, one member upon the recommendation of
the New Jersey Association of Counties, and one member upon the recommendation
of the New Jersey School Boards Association.

���� c.���� Vacancies in the
membership of the task force shall be filled in the same manner as the original
appointments were made.� Members of the task force shall serve without
compensation, but shall be reimbursed for necessary expenditures incurred in
the performance of their duties as members of the task force.

���� d.��� The Commissioner of
Education, or the commissioner�s designee, shall serve as chairperson of the
task force.� The task force shall organize as soon as practicable following the
appointment of its members and shall select a vice-chairperson from among its
members.� The chairperson shall appoint a secretary who need not be a member of
the task force.

���� e.���� The Department of
Education shall provide such stenographic, clerical, and other administrative
assistants, and such professional staff as the task force requires to carry out
its work.� The task force shall also be entitled to call to its assistance and
avail itself of the services of the employees of any State, county, or
municipal department, board, bureau, commission, or agency as it may require
and as may be available to it for its purposes.

���� 3.��� It shall be the duty of
the task force to study how school districts are utilizing shared services and
to develop recommendations that improve the efficiency and delivery of shared
services for school districts.� The task force shall study and consider issues
including, but not limited to, the following:

���� a.���� the current shared
services arrangements school districts have with other school districts,
municipalities, and counties;

���� b.��� the implementation
challenges that school districts currently face in attempting to expand the
scope and capacity of their shared services;

���� c.���� the funding necessary
for school districts to use shared services more often and more efficiently;

���� d.��� the impact, if any, with
improving shared services among school districts and potential consolidation of
school districts;

���� e.���� recommendations for
school districts to adopt and implement to improve the efficiency and delivery
of their shared services.

���� 4.��� a.� The task force shall
issue a final report to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to
section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), no later than one year after the
task force organizes.� The report shall contain the task force�s findings and recommendations
for school districts on improving the efficiency and delivery of their shared
services.

���� b.��� The task force shall
expire upon the submission of its final report.

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

STATEMENT

���� This bill establishes the
�School District Shared Services Task Force� to study how school districts are
utilizing shared services and to develop recommendations that improve upon the
efficiency and delivery of shared services for school districts.� The task
force will include the following 9 members:
the
Commissioner of Education;
the Commissioner of Community Affairs; one
public member appointed by the President of the Senate; one public member
appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate; one public member appointed by
the Speaker of the General Assembly; one public member appointed by the
Minority Leader of the General Assembly; and three members appointed by the
Governor including one member upon the recommendation of the New Jersey League
of Municipalities, one member upon the recommendation of the New Jersey
Association of Counties, and one member upon the recommendation of the New
Jersey School Boards Association.

���� The task force will study and
consider issues including, but not limited to:

���� ����� the
current� shared services arrangements school districts have with other school
districts, municipalities, and counties;

���� ����� the
implementation challenges that school districts currently face in attempting to
expand the scope and capacity of their shared services;

���� ����� the
funding necessary for school districts to use shared services more often and
more efficiently;

���� ����� the
impact, if any, with improving shared services among school districts and
potential consolidation of school districts;

���� ����� recommendations
for school districts to adopt and implement to improve the efficiency and
delivery of their shared services.

���� The task force is required to
issue a final report to the Governor and the Legislature within one year of its
organization, which contains the task force�s findings and recommendations
regarding school districts improving the efficiency and delivery of their
shared services.� The task force would expire upon the submission of this
report.�