Bill Text: NJ A1276 | 2014-2015 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Provides State transportation aid incentive to support shared services agreements between municipalities and districts with efficient transportation systems for the provision of public school hazardous busing.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-01-16 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee [A1276 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2014-A1276-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
216th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2014 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman RONALD S. DANCER
District 12 (Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean)
SYNOPSIS
Provides State transportation aid incentive to support shared services agreements between municipalities and districts with efficient transportation systems for the provision of public school hazardous busing.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
An Act concerning public school hazardous busing and amending P.L.2007, c.260.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. 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.
Beginning in the first full school year following the effective date of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), IF shall include a weight to provide additional State aid for transportation to a school district or county vocational school district that has a regular vehicle capacity utilization equal to or greater than 140% and has entered a contract pursuant to the provisions of N.J.S.18A:39-1.2.
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)
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill provides support for shared services agreements between school districts and municipalities for transporting students along hazardous routes. Under the bill, the incentive factor included in the transportation aid formula would be modified to include an additional weight to provide increased transportation aid to school districts that transport students efficiently, as measured by the district's regular vehicle capacity utilization, and has entered a shared services agreement with the municipality pursuant to the "Uniform Shared Services and Consolidation Act," P.L.2007, c.63 (C.40A:65-1 et al.).
