Bill Text: NJ A2038 | 2018-2019 | Regular Session | Introduced


Bill Title: Modifies procedures for student enrollment in charter school to require use of lottery selection process; requires charter school admission policy to seek enrollment of student demographics of charter school district of residence.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-01-09 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee [A2038 Detail]

Download: New_Jersey-2018-A2038-Introduced.html

ASSEMBLY, No. 2038

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

218th LEGISLATURE

 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2018 SESSION

 


 

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman  CRAIG J. COUGHLIN

District 19 (Middlesex)

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Modifies procedures for student enrollment in charter school to require use of lottery selection process; requires charter school admission policy to seek enrollment of student demographics of charter school district of residence.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.

  


An Act concerning charter school student enrollment and amending P.L.1995, c.426.

 

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

 

     1.    Section 8 of P.L.1995, c.426 (C.18A:36A-8) is amended to read as follows:

     8.    a.  Preference for enrollment in a charter school shall be given to students who reside in the [school district in which the charter school is located.  If there are more applications to enroll in the charter school than there are spaces available, the] charter school district of residence as approved by the commissioner.  A charter school shall select students to attend [using a random selection process] through a lottery.  The name of each student who is enrolled in the charter school district of residence shall be placed in the lottery.  In the event that the parents or guardians of a student who is selected for admission to the charter school through the lottery determine not to enroll the student in the charter school, then the charter school shall fill that enrollment space with a student from the waiting list maintained pursuant to subsection g. of this section

     A charter school shall not charge tuition to students [who reside in the district].

     b.    A charter school shall allow any student who was enrolled in the school in the immediately preceding school year to enroll in the charter school in the appropriate grade unless the appropriate grade is not offered at the charter school.

     c.     A charter school may give enrollment priority to a sibling of a student enrolled in the charter school.

     d.    If available space permits, a charter school may enroll non-resident students.  The terms and condition of the enrollment shall be outlined in the school's charter and approved by the commissioner.

     e.     The admission policy of the charter school shall, to the maximum extent practicable, seek the enrollment of [a cross section of the community's school age population including racial and] the student demographics of the charter school district of residence including race, ethnicity, eligibility for the federal free lunch program, eligibility for the federal reduced price lunch program, limited English proficient students, special education services students in respective special education classifications, and other appropriate academic factors.

     f.     A charter school shall file with the commissioner and the charter school district of residence a report on the student enrollment demographics of the charter school no later than October 15 of each year.  The report shall be in a form prescribed by the commissioner and shall be posted on the websites of the Department of Education, the charter school, and the charter school district of residence.

     g.    A charter school shall maintain a waiting list for admission to the school and shall annually submit the number and demographics of students, consistent with subsection f. of this section, on the waiting list to the commissioner.  The Department of Education and the charter school shall post the number on their websites and shall update the number as appropriate.

(cf:  P.L.1995, c.426, s.8)

 

     2.    This act shall take effect immediately.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

     This bill modifies the selection process for student enrollment in a charter school.  Under the bill, students will be selected for enrollment through a lottery.  The name of each student who is enrolled in the charter school district of residence will be placed in the lottery.  If the parent or guardian of a student who is selected through the lottery decides not to enroll the student, the charter school will fill that enrollment space with a student from the school's waiting list.  Under current law, a random selection process for charter school enrollment is used only if there are more applicants than there are openings in the charter school.

     In addition, the bill requires that a charter school's admission policy seek the enrollment of the student demographics of the charter school district of residence, including race, ethnicity, eligibility for the federal free lunch program and reduced price lunch program, limited English proficient students, special education services students in respective special education classifications, and other appropriate academic factors.  The bill requires a charter school to file with the Commissioner of Education and its district of residence a report on the school's student enrollment demographics by October 15 of each year.  The report is to be posted on the websites of the Department of Education, the charter school, and the charter school district of residence.

     Lastly, the bill requires a charter school to maintain a waiting list for admission and to annually submit the number and demographics of students on the waiting list to the commissioner.  The Department of Education and the charter school will post the number on their websites.

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