Bill Text: NJ S2771 | 2022-2023 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Establishes five-year community schools pilot program.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 7-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2023-06-30 - Received in the Assembly without Reference, 2nd Reading [S2771 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2022-S2771-Amended.html
Sponsored by:
Senator M. TERESA RUIZ
District 29 (Essex)
Senator SHIRLEY K. TURNER
District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senators Gopal, Singleton, Zwicker and Burgess
SYNOPSIS
Establishes five-year community schools pilot program.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As reported by the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee on June 27, 2023, with amendments.
An Act establishing a community schools pilot program and supplementing chapter 6 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. As used in this act, "community schools" means 1[partnerships between public schools, nonprofit organizations, and local governments to provide an integrated focus on academics, health, and social services, youth and community development, expanded learning time and opportunities, actively engage families, and foster collaborative practices based on an individual community's identified need] public schools that participate in a community-based effort to coordinate and integrate educational, developmental, family, health, and other comprehensive services through community-based organizations and public and private partnerships, providing access to these services to students, families, and the community year-round1.
2. a. The Commissioner of Education shall establish a five-year "Community Schools Pilot Program" in the Department of Education. The objective of the pilot program shall be to facilitate the establishment of community schools 1that demonstrate a commitment to the four pillars of: integrated student supports; expanded learning time and opportunities; family and community engagement; and collaborative leadership and practice1. Under the pilot program, any school district 1, renaissance school,1 or charter school shall be able to receive training 1and ongoing support throughout the duration of the pilot program1 regarding the establishment 1and operation1 of a community school, and 1[no more than 50 schools] one public school of a school district, renaissance school, or charter school in each county of the State1 shall be assigned a site coordinator who shall assist in the establishment and operations of a community school 1and oversee and coordinate the services and outreach to students and families1.
b. No later than three months following the effective date of this act, the commissioner shall 1[issue a request for proposals to]1 identify 1an institution of higher education or1 a qualified nonprofit organization 1with the appropriate capacity and experience1 located in the State 1[whose mission is to facilitate] that has demonstrated a commitment to facilitating1 high quality community schools in New Jersey to manage the pilot program. Upon selecting an organization 1or institution of higher education1 to manage the pilot program, the commissioner shall enter into a contract with that organization 1or institution1 specifying 1how State funds may be used and1 its duties and responsibilities including, but not limited to, those identified in section 3 of this act.
c. 1[No later than six months following the effective date of this act, the commissioner shall survey school districts and charter schools to assess the extent to which community schools have been established. The survey shall obtain information including, but not limited to: 1) identifying school districts and charter schools that have established community schools; 2) listing the entities with which the community school has entered into a partnership for the provision of services; and 3) detailing services that are provided at the community schools. The commissioner shall use the survey results to establish an inventory of community schools, which shall be updated annually] The Department of Education shall develop a list of schools selected to participate in the pilot program, and shall post the list on the department's website in a prominent and easily accessible location1.
3. a. The organization 1or institution of higher education1 selected by the commissioner to manage the pilot program shall 1[make] establish a1 technical assistance 1center that will be1 available to 1[school districts and charter]1 schools that are participating in the pilot program. The organization 1or institution of higher education1 shall also make group training sessions and materials about community school operations accessible to any school district 1, renaissance school,1 or charter school that expresses an interest in developing a community school. 1The technical assistance center shall be responsible for the Statewide dissemination of information on effective and promising practices in the establishment and ongoing management of community school strategies through professional development and technical assistance activities designed to:
(1) familiarize school personnel across the State with community school strategies;
(2) increase the knowledge and skills of school staff and community partners to aid in the implementation, management, and sustainability of community schools;
(3) promote the establishment and development of community schools that incorporate the characteristics of community school strategies;
(4) provide community schools with the tools necessary to design and implement needs assessments that will provide the data necessary to effectively target community school resources;
(5) increase Statewide capacity to support effective community school strategies; and
(6) identify and evaluate community schools' needs in order to provide tailored technical assistance and professional development.1
b. 1[(1)]1 The 1[organization] department1 , in coordination with the 1[department] organization or institution of higher education, and the New Jersey Community Schools Coalition1 , shall develop 1[an application procedure and]1 specific criteria for selecting schools, including 1renaissance and1 charter schools, to participate in the pilot program and receive direct support from a site coordinator assigned to the school. The selection criteria shall be posted on the department's website 1[at least 20 days prior to each application period. Schools shall be selected in three application periods by the department and the organization collaboratively. In each of the first and second application periods, no more than 15 schools shall be selected to receive a site coordinator. In the third application period, no more than 20 schools shall be selected to receive a site coordinator. The organization in collaboration with the department may increase the number of schools selected in a subsequent application period if the maximum number was not selected in a prior application period. In no event shall the cumulative number of schools selected to receive a site coordinator exceed 30 after the second application period, or 50 after the third application period.
(2) In selecting schools to receive a site coordinator, lower priority may be given to a school district or charter school that is currently receiving federal funds to establish or operate a community school, or higher priority may be given to a school located in a school district that does not have any schools in which a site coordinator has been assigned]1.
c. The organization 1or institution of higher education1 shall employ and train individuals who shall be assigned to serve as a site coordinator 1[in a school that has been selected to receive a site coordinator]1. Individuals selected to serve as site coordinators shall be employees of the organization 1or institution of higher education1, and not the school district 1, renaissance school,1 or charter school to which they are assigned. 1The salaries, wages, and other financial compensation of the site coordinators shall be the responsibility of the organization or institution of higher education.1
d. 1A public school selected to participate in the pilot program shall enter into an agreement with the selected organization or institution of higher education outlining at minimum the role, responsibilities, and authority the site coordinator has in supporting the establishment of the community school site.
e.1 The organization 1or institution of higher education1 may enter into an agreement with another nonprofit entity to assist it in fulfilling any of the responsibilities enumerated in subsections a. through c. of this section 1, subject to the approval of the commissioner1.
4. a. The commissioner shall annually 1[enter into a contract with an independent entity to perform] receive1 an audit of the 1[organization's]1 accounts and financial transactions 1[. The audit of the prior year's activities shall be completed no later than five months following the end of the organization's fiscal year. The audit shall be made available on the Department of Education's website] of the organization or institution of higher education for the duration of the pilot program1.
b. The commissioner shall enter into a contract with an independent entity to conduct an evaluation of the pilot program. The entity shall have expertise in evaluating educational programs and the provision of a range of social services. The evaluator shall issue a final report on the implementation of the pilot program no later than six months 1[prior to] following1 the pilot program's completion. The commissioner shall forward the final report to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1).
5. There is established in the Department of Education a nonlapsing fund that shall be known as the Community Schools Pilot Program Fund. The fund shall consist of any funds that are appropriated by the Legislature for inclusion in the fund, investment earnings of the fund, and moneys contributed to the fund by private sources. The moneys in the fund 1[shall] may1 be invested and reinvested 1[by the Director of the Division of Investment in the Department of the Treasury] as other trust funds in the custody of the State in the manner provided by law1. Expenditures from the fund shall be exclusively for the purpose of implementing the provisions of this act.
6. This act shall take effect 1[immediately] on the first day of the fourth month following the date of enactment1.
