Bill Text: NJ A4906 | 2026-2027 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Permits use of unexpended State aid for specific nonpublic school programs may be used to support certain other nonpublic school programs rather than being refunded.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2)
Status: (Introduced) 2026-05-07 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee [A4906 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2026-A4906-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman ALEXANDER "AVI" SCHNALL
District 30 (Monmouth and Ocean)
Assemblyman GARY S. SCHAER
District 36 (Bergen and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Permits use of unexpended State aid for specific nonpublic school programs for support of certain other nonpublic school programs rather than being refunded.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning State aid for nonpublic schools, amending P.L.1991, c.226, P.L.1974, c.79, and P.L.2016, c.49, and supplementing chapter 58 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 9 of P.L.1991, c.226 (C.18A:40-31) is amended to read as follows:
9. a. The support limit for the 1997-98 school year shall be $61.44. For each school year thereafter the commissioner shall determine the support limit by multiplying the support limit for the previous school year times the sum of 1.0 plus the average annual percentage increase in the consumer price index for the New York and Philadelphia areas during the fiscal year preceding the prebudget year as reported by the United States Department of Labor.
b. On or before November 5 of each year, each board of education shall forward to the commissioner an estimate of the cost of providing, during the next school year, the services required pursuant to this act and the number of pupils attending nonpublic schools located within the district as of the last school day of October of the current school year, excluding those pupils who have refused nursing services pursuant to section 8 of [this act] P.L.1991, c.226 (C.18A:40-30). The commissioner shall provide State aid to each school district in an amount equal to the number of nonpublic school pupils within the district identified by the district on or before November 5 multiplied by the State support limit. In the event that the expenditure incurred by any district is less than the amount of State aid received, the district may use the unexpended State aid for expenditures under P.L.1974, c.79 (C.18A:58-37.1 et seq.), P.L.2016, c.49 (C.18A:58-37.8 et seq.), and the Nonpublic Technology Initiative. In the event that the expenditures incurred by any district are less than the total amount of State aid for these programs, the district shall refund the unexpended State aid after the completion of the school year, but not later than December 1 of the following school year.
c. If in any year, the amount of State aid appropriated is insufficient to carry out in full the provisions of [this act] P.L.1991, c.226 (C.18A:40-23 et seq.), the commissioner shall apportion that appropriation among the districts in proportion to the State aid each district would have received had the full amount of State aid been appropriated. In any year, no district shall be required to make expenditures for the purposes of this act in excess of the amount of State aid received for these purposes.
(cf: P.L.1996, c.138, s.69)
2. Section 7 of P.L.1974, c.79 (C.18A:58-37.7) is amended to read as follows:
7. The sums payable as State aid to school districts pursuant to [this act] P.L.1974, c.79 (C.18A:58-37.1 et seq.) shall be paid in full no later than July 31. The State Treasurer shall make such payment to each board of education upon a certificate of the commissioner and warrant of the Director of the Division of Budget and Accounting.
[A] In the event that the expenditure incurred by any district pursuant to P.L. 1974, c. 79 (C. 18A:58-37.1 et seq.) is less than the amount of State aid received, the district may use the unexpended State aid for expenditures under P.L.1991, c.226 (C.18A:40-23 et seq.), P.L.2016, c.49 (C.18A:58-37.8 et seq.), and the Nonpublic Technology Initiative. In the event that the expenditures incurred by any district for these programs are less than the total amount of State aid for these programs, the district shall refund any unexpended State aid after completion of the school year [if the expenditures incurred by the district pursuant to P.L. 1974, c. 79 (C. 18A:58-37.1 et seq.) are less than the amount of State aid received therefor]. The refund shall be paid no later than December 1.
(cf: P.L.1986, c.17, s.1)
3. Section 5 of P.L.2016, c.49 (C.18A:58-37.12) is amended to read as follows:
5. a. The support limit for the 2016-2017 school year shall be $75. For each school year thereafter the commissioner shall determine the support limit by multiplying the support limit for the previous school year times the sum of 1.0 plus the average annual percentage increase in the consumer price index for the New York and Philadelphia areas during the fiscal year preceding the prebudget year as reported by the United States Department of Labor.
b. On or before November 5 of each year, each board of education shall forward to the Commissioner of Education an estimate of the cost of providing, during the next school year, the security services, equipment, or technology required pursuant to this act and the number of students attending nonpublic schools located within the district as of the last school day of October of the current school year. The commissioner shall provide State aid to each school district in an amount equal to the number of nonpublic school students within the district identified by the district on or before November 5 multiplied by the State support limit. In the event that the expenditure incurred by any district is less than the amount of State aid received, the district may use the unexpended State aid for expenditures under P.L.1991, c.226 (C.18A:40-23 et seq.), P.L.1974, c.79 (C.18A:58-37.1 et seq.), and the Nonpublic Technology Initiative. In the event that the expenditures incurred by any district are less than the total amount of State aid for these programs, the district shall refund the unexpended State aid after the completion of the school year, but not later than December 1 of the following school year.
c. If in any year, the amount of State aid appropriated is insufficient to carry out in full the provisions of [this act] P.L.2016, c.49 (C.18A:58-37.8 et seq.), the commissioner shall apportion that appropriation among the districts in proportion to the State aid each district would have received had the full amount of State aid been appropriated. In any year, no district shall be required to make expenditures for the purposes of this act in excess of the amount of State aid received for these purposes.
(cf: P.L.2016, c.49, s.5)
4. (New section) In the event that the expenditure incurred by any district under the Nonpublic Technology Initiative is less than the amount of State aid received, the district may use the unexpended State aid for expenditures under P.L.1991, c.226 (C.18A:40-23 et seq.), P.L.1974, c.79 (C.18A:58-37.1 et seq.), and P.L.2016, c.49 (C.18A:58-37.8 et seq.). In the event that the expenditures incurred by any district are less than the total amount of State aid for these programs, the district shall refund the unexpended State aid after the completion of the school year, but not later than December 1 of the following school year.
5. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
Under current law, in the event that the expenditures incurred by a school district are less than the State aid received to support certain services provided to nonpublic schools, the district is required to refund the unexpended State aid after the completion of the school year. This provision applies in the case of nonpublic nursing services aid, nonpublic textbook aid, and nonpublic security aid. This bill would allow unexpended State aid for any of these specific aid programs to be used to support the services provided under any of the other programs. In addition to the programs enumerated above, the bill's provisions would also apply to unexpended State aid provided to school districts pursuant to the annual appropriations act for the Nonpublic Technology Initiative.
