Bill Text: NJ S2113 | 2018-2019 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Creates pilot program to fund adult education programs for residents of certain communities.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-03-05 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Education Committee [S2113 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2018-S2113-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator JAMES BEACH
District 6 (Burlington and Camden)
SYNOPSIS
Creates pilot program to fund adult education programs for residents of certain communities.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning the provision of additional State school aid for certain adult education students and supplementing P.L.2007, c.260 (C.18A:7F-43 et al.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. As used in this section, "eligible pupil" means an individual who is enrolled in an approved adult education program and resides in a municipality that is part of a school district that, in the 2016-2017 school year, had a four-year adjusted cohort high school graduation rate in the bottom quintile of all school districts in the State for which a four-year adjusted cohort high school graduation rate was calculated.
b. There is established an adult high school pilot program to be administered by the Commissioner of Education. The purpose of the pilot program shall be to provide State support for approved adult high school programs providing educational opportunities in career and technical fields to individuals who do not hold a high school diploma.
c. For the 2018-2019 school year, and for each of the subsequent four school years, State aid shall be distributed on an unweighted per pupil basis for eligible pupils enrolled in an approved adult high school program. In the 2018-2019 school year, a school district shall receive $1,500 per eligible pupil enrolled in an approved adult high school program operated by the school district. In each subsequent school year, the State aid amount per eligible pupil shall be increased by the CPI.
d. No later than January 1, 2024, the Commissioner of Education shall submit to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), a report summarizing the outcomes of the pilot program. The report shall include, but need not be limited to, the following:
(1) the total number of pupils for whom State aid was provided in each school year;
(2) the number of pupils for whom State aid was provided who received a locally-issued, State-endorsed diploma;
(3) the number of school districts that developed approved adult education programs after the pilot program began; and
(4) a recommendation regarding whether the program should be made permanent on a Statewide basis.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill would establish a five-year pilot program to provide State funding for certain students enrolled in adult education programs. Beginning in the 2018-2019 school year, a school district that operates an approved adult high school program will receive $1,500 in adult education aid for each eligible pupil enrolled in the program. An eligible pupil is defined as one who resides in a municipality that is: 1) in a county of the second class, and 2) part of a school district that, in the 2016-2017 school year, ranked in the bottom 20 percent Statewide with respect to the four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate. The bill also requires the Commissioner of Education to submit a report summarizing the outcomes of the pilot program.
