ASSEMBLY, No. 1808

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

214th LEGISLATURE

 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2010 SESSION

 

 

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman  CAROLINE CASAGRANDE

District 12 (Mercer and Monmouth)

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Limits tuition increase in district sending-receiving relationships to change in State aid and tax levy of sending school district.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel

  

An Act concerning the determination of tuition rates for school districts in sending-receiving relationships and amending N.J.S.18A:38-19.

 

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

 

     1.    N.J.S.18A:38-19 is amended to read as follows:

     18A:38-19. ­a. Whenever the pupils of any school district are attending public school in another district, within or without the State, pursuant to this article, the board of education of the receiving district shall determine a tuition rate to be paid by the board of education of the sending district to an amount not in excess of the actual cost per pupil as determined under rules prescribed by the commissioner and approved by the State board, and such tuition shall be paid by the custodian of school moneys of the sending district out of any moneys in his hands available for current expenses of the district upon order issued by the board of education of the sending district, signed by its president and secretary, in favor of the custodian of school moneys of the receiving district.

     b.    Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection a. of this section, whenever the pupils of a school district are attending public school in another school district within the State, any increase in tuition between the prebudget and budget years shall not exceed the percentage increase between the prebudget and budget years in the sending district's available revenue as measured by the sum of the general fund tax levy and State aid awarded pursuant to P.L.2007, c.260 (C.18A:7F-43 et seq.).

(cf: P.L.2007, c.260, s.61)

 

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

 

 

STATEMENT

 

     This bill limits the annual increase in the tuition charged to a sending district by a receiving district.  The bill provides that any tuition increase will not exceed the percentage increase in the total State aid and general fund tax levy of the sending district between the prebudget and budget years.

     The purpose of this bill is to protect sending school districts from sharp increases in tuition costs from one year to the next.  When tuition costs increase faster than the sending district's total revenue, the district is forced to reduce other programs and services in order to adhere to limitations on revenue growth.