Establishes funding for transportation services for preschool students.

A4571

ASSEMBLY, No. 4571

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED MARCH 10, 2026

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman� ROSAURA "ROSY" BAGOLIE

District 27 (Essex and Passaic)

Assemblywoman� ANNETTE QUIJANO

District 20 (Union)

Assemblyman� STERLEY S. STANLEY

District 18 (Middlesex)

SYNOPSIS

���� Establishes funding for transportation services for
preschool students.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act
concerning transportation aid for preschool students,
and amending and supplementing P.L.2007, c.260.

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

���� 1. Section 4 of P.L.2007,
c.260 (C.18A:7F-46) is amended to read as follows:

���� 4. a. The State Board of
Education shall review and update the core curriculum content standards every
five years.� The standards shall ensure that all children are provided the
educational opportunity needed to equip them for the role of citizen and labor
market competitor.

���� The Commissioner of Education
shall develop and establish, through the report issued pursuant to subsection
b. of this section, efficiency standards which define the types of programs,
services, activities, and materials necessary to achieve a thorough and
efficient education.

���� b.��� By September 1 of 2010
and by September 1 every three years thereafter, the Governor, after
consultation with the commissioner, shall recommend to the Legislature through
the issuance of the Educational Adequacy Report for the three school years to
which the report is applicable:

���� (1)�� the base per pupil
amount based upon the core curriculum content standards established pursuant to
subsection a. of this section;

���� (2)�� the per pupil amounts
for full-day preschool;

���� (3)�� the weights for grade
level, county vocational school districts, at-risk pupils, bilingual pupils,
and combination pupils;

���� (4)�� the cost coefficients
for security aid and transportation aid;

���� (5)�� the State average
classification rate for general special education services pupils and for
speech-only pupils;

���� (6)�� the excess cost for
general special education services pupils and for speech-only pupils;
[
and
]

���� (7)�� the extraordinary
special education aid thresholds
; and

����
(8) the Statewide average
cost of providing transportation services to preschool students, and any other
information needed to implement the formula for preschool transportation aid
developed by the commissioner pursuant to section 3 of P.L.��� , c.���� (C.�������
) (pending before the Legislature as this bill)
.

���� The base per pupil amount, the
per pupil amounts for full-day preschool, the excess costs for general special
education services pupils and for speech-only pupils, and the cost-coefficients
for security aid and transportation aid shall be adjusted by the CPI for each
of the two school years following the first school year to which the report is
applicable.

���� The amounts shall be deemed
approved for the three successive fiscal years beginning from the subsequent
July 1, unless between the date of transmittal and the subsequent November 30,
the Legislature adopts a concurrent resolution stating that the Legislature is
not in agreement with all or any specific part of the report.� The concurrent
resolution shall advise the Governor of the Legislature's specific objections
to the report and shall direct the commissioner to submit to the Legislature a
revised report which responds to those objections by January 1.

(cf: P.L.2007, c.260, s.4)

���� 2. Section 15 of P.L.2007,
c.260 (C.18A:7F-57) is amended to read as follows:

���� 15. a. Each school district's
and county vocational school district's State aid for transportation shall
consist of base aid (BA) and an incentive factor (IF) determined as follows:

���� BA = (BA1 x IF) + BA2

���� where

���� BA1 = CP1 x P1+CD1 x P1 x D1;

���� BA2 = CP2 xP2 + CD2 x P2 x D2;

���� P1 is the total number of
regular education public pupils and regular nonpublic pupils eligible for
transportation pursuant to N.J.S.18A:39-1, excluding preschool pupils
[
except pupils
that qualify for free full-day preschool pursuant to section 12 of this act
]
, and
[
of
]
special
education pupils eligible for transportation pursuant to N.J.S.18A:46-23 with
no special transportation requirements, who are resident in the district as of
the last school day prior to October 16 of the prebudget year;

���� D1 is the average
home-to-school mileage for P1 pupils;

���� P2 is the total number of
special education pupils eligible for transportation pursuant to
N.J.S.18A:46-23 with special transportation requirements who are resident in
the district as of the last school day prior to October 16 of the prebudget
year;

���� D2 is the average
home-to-school mileage for P2 pupils; and

���� CP1, CD1, CP2 and CD2 are cost
coefficients with values set forth in subsection b. of this section.

���� IF is the incentive factor,
which modifies base aid paid for pupils transported on regular vehicles
according to each district's percentile rank in regular vehicle capacity
utilization.� Students within the district who receive courtesy busing services
shall be included in the calculation of the district's regular vehicle capacity
utilization if the courtesy busing services are provided to a student who would
otherwise be required to walk to and from school along a route designated as a
hazardous route by the school district pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1999, c.310
(C.18A:39-1.5).� For the 2008-2009 school year, IF = l. The Governor shall
submit to the Legislature at least 60 days prior to the FY 2011 budget address
proposed transportation incentive factors applicable to the 2010-2011 school
year and thereafter along with supporting data.� The incentive factors shall be
deemed approved by the Legislature unless a concurrent resolution is passed
within 60 days of the date of submission.

���� b.��� For the 2008-2009 school
year, the cost coefficients in subsection a. of this section shall have the
following values:

���� CP1 = $383.88;

���� CD1 = $10.50;

���� CP2 = $2,675.77; and

���� CD2 = $5.10.

���� The cost coefficients shall be
adjusted by the CPI in the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 school years as required
pursuant to subsection b. of section 4 of this act.� For subsequent school
years, the cost coefficients shall be established in the Educational Adequacy
Report with the amounts adjusted by the CPI for each of the two school years
following the first school year to which the report is applicable.

���� c.���� For the 2008-2009
school year each district and county vocational district shall receive State
transportation aid in an amount equal to the school district's or county
vocational school district's State aid entitlement calculated pursuant to
subsections a. and b. of this section multiplied by 81.4876%.

���� d.��� Each executive county
superintendent of schools shall complete a study of pupil transportation
services in the county no later than 18 months after the effective date of
P.L.2007, c.260 (C.18A:7F-43 et al.).� The purpose of the study shall be to
determine ways to provide pupil transportation services in a more
cost-effective and efficient manner.� The study shall be transmitted upon
completion to the Commissioner of Education and to the Legislature pursuant to
section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1).

(cf: P.L.2007, c.260, s.15)

���� 3.� (New section) a.� No later
than 30 days following the date of enactment of P.L.��� , c.���� (C.������� )
(pending before the Legislature as this bill), the Commissioner of Education
shall determine the Statewide average cost of providing transportation services
to preschool students.� This cost shall be used by the commissioner to develop
a formula to provide preschool transportation aid to school districts, which
formula shall be developed and submitted to the Legislature, along with
supporting data, no later than 60 days following the date of enactment of
P.L.��� , c.���� (C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
The formula shall ensure that a school district receives, at minimum, an amount
equal to the average cost of providing transportation to preschool students
multiplied by the number of preschool students eligible for transportation
services pursuant to N.J.S.18A:39-1.�

���� b.� Following the initial
determination of the Statewide average cost of providing transportation
students to preschool students pursuant to subsection a. of this section, the
cost shall be thereafter determined and reported in each issuance of the Educational
Adequacy Report developed pursuant to section 4 of P.L.2007, c.260
(C.18A:7F-46), and shall be adjusted by the CPI for each of the two school
years following the first school year to which the report is applicable.

���� 4. This act shall take effect
immediately and preschool transportation aid established pursuant to section 3
of this act shall first be provided in the first full school year next
following the date of enactment.

STATEMENT

���� This bill establishes funding
for transportation services for preschool students throughout the State.

���� Under the bill, the
Commissioner of Education is required, no later than 30 days following
enactment, to determine the Statewide average cost of providing transportation
services to preschool students.� This cost is to be used to provide preschool
transportation aid to school districts according to a formula to be developed
by the commissioner no later than 60 days following the date of enactment. The
commissioner is additionally required to transmit the formula, along with
supporting data, to the Legislature.� The formula is required to ensure that a
school district receives, at minimum, an amount equal to the Statewide average
cost of providing transportation to preschool students multiplied by the number
of preschool students eligible for transportation services in that district.

���� Additionally, the bill
requires the Statewide average cost of providing transportation services to
preschool students to be determined and reported in each issuance of the
Educational Adequacy Report.� The cost would then be adjusted by the consumer
price index (CPI) for each of the two school years following the first school
year to which the report is applicable.

���� Finally, the bill limits the
calculation of transportation aid to students in grades kindergarten through
12.