Concerns enrollment of twins or higher order multiples in public preschool programs.

S4349

SENATE, No. 4349

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED MAY 28, 2026

Sponsored by:

Senator� JAMES W. HOLZAPFEL

District 10 (Monmouth and Ocean)

Senator� ANGELA V. MCKNIGHT

District 31 (Hudson)

Co-Sponsored by:

Senators Singleton and Gopal

SYNOPSIS

���� Concerns enrollment of twins or higher order
multiples in public preschool programs.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act

concerning preschool enrollment and amending and
supplementing P.L.2008, c.70.

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

���� 1.��� Section 1 of P.L.2008,
c.70 (C.18A:36-38) is amended to read as follows:

���� 1. a. (1) A parent or guardian
of twins or higher order multiples enrolled in the same
[
K
]

preschool

through 8 grade level at the same public school may request that the children
be placed in the same classroom or in separate classrooms.� The school
principal may recommend a classroom placement to the parent or guardian and may
provide the parent or guardian with professional education advice that will
assist the parent or guardian in making the best decision for the children's
education.� The parent or guardian shall request the classroom placement in
writing no later than 14 days after the first day of each school year.� The
school principal shall provide the classroom placement requested by the parent
or guardian and the students shall remain in this initial placement for the
duration of the school year unless the board of education makes a different
classroom placement determination pursuant to the provisions of subsection b.
of this section.

���� In the event that the twins or
higher order multiples enroll in the school after the school year commences,
the parent or guardian shall request the classroom placement in writing no
later than 14 days after the first day of attendance.� The school principal
shall provide the classroom placement requested by the parent or guardian if
space is available in accordance with written local district class size
requirements and the students shall remain in this initial placement for the
duration of the school year unless the board of education makes a different
classroom placement determination pursuant to the provisions of subsection b.
of this section.

���� (2)�� A parent or guardian of
twins or higher order multiples enrolled in the same 9 through 12 grade level
at the same public school may request that the children be placed in the same
classroom or in separate classrooms. The placement decision shall be made at
the discretion of the school principal in the best interests of the school and
its students.� The parent or guardian may appeal the school principal's
decision to the board of education, which shall make a final determination on
the placement.

���� b.��� A school principal may,
after consultation with the students' parent or guardian and teachers at the
end of the initial grading period, request that the board of education make a
different classroom placement determination for the twins or higher order multiples
if the initial classroom placement is determined to be disruptive to any of the
students in the class or classes in which the students are enrolled or if the
principal concludes that the initial placement does not sufficiently support
the students' academic or social development. Upon receiving the request, the
board of education shall make a final classroom placement determination.

���� c.���� As used in this
section, "higher order multiples" means triplets, quadruplets,
quintuplets, or larger group of siblings born at one birth.

���� d.��� The provisions of this
section shall not apply to a school district which maintains only a single
classroom for the grade level in which the twins or higher order multiples are
enrolled.

���� e.���� The parent or guardian
shall be responsible for any additional pupil transportation costs that are
incurred by the school district as a result of providing the requested
classroom placement, unless the school district is in agreement with the
placement.

���� f.���� In the event that one
of the twins or higher order multiples receives special education services, the
requested classroom placement shall not be accommodated if the placement is
inconsistent with a student's Individualized Education Plan.�

����
g.� If the twins or higher
order multiples enroll in a public preschool program operated by a licensed
child care provider, the parent or guardian may request that the children be
placed in the same classroom or in separate classrooms if the licensed child
care provider maintains multiple preschool classrooms.

(cf: P.L.2008, c.70, s.1)

���� 2.��� (New section) a.� A
public school that utilizes a lottery system or open enrollment to award seats
in a preschool program shall treat twins or higher order multiples as one unit
in the lottery system or open enrollment. The twins or higher order multiples
shall either be selected or waitlisted for seats in the preschool program as
one unit and shall not be placed in preschool programs operated by different
schools or licensed child care providers within the district except at the
request of the parents or guardians of the twins or higher order multiples.

���� 3.��� This act shall take
effect immediately and shall first apply to the first full school year next
following the date of enactment.

STATEMENT

���� This bill permits a parent or
guardian of twins or higher order multiples enrolled in preschool in a public
school to select shared or separate classroom placement of their children and
requires twins or higher order multiples to be treated as one unit in the
preschool lottery system and open enrollment.

���� Under current law, a parent or
guardian of twins or higher order multiples enrolled in grades kindergarten
through 8 at the same public school may request that the children be placed in
the same classroom or in separate classrooms. This bill extends that provision
to twins or higher order multiples enrolled in preschool in a public school. The
bill stipulates that if the twins or higher order multiples enroll in a public
preschool program operated by a licensed child care provider, the parent or
guardian may request that the children be placed in the same classroom or in
separate classrooms if the licensed child care provider maintains multiple preschool
classrooms.

���� The bill also requires a
public school that utilizes a lottery system or open enrollment to award seats
in a preschool program to treat twins or higher order multiples as one unit in
the lottery system or open enrollment. The twins or higher order multiples will
either be selected or waitlisted for seats in the preschool program as one unit
and will not be placed in preschool programs operated by different schools or
licensed child care providers within the district except at the request of the
parents or guardians of the twins or higher order multiples.