Bill Text: NJ S2889 | 2012-2013 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Permits charter schools to establish an enrollment preference for certain student populations and requires a uniform application for admission to a charter school which will be prescribed by the Commissioner of Education.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-06-24 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Education Committee [S2889 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2012-S2889-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator RAYMOND J. LESNIAK
District 20 (Union)
Senator SANDRA B. CUNNINGHAM
District 31 (Hudson)
SYNOPSIS
Permits charter schools to establish an enrollment preference for certain student populations and requires a uniform application for admission to a charter school which will be prescribed by the Commissioner of Education.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning charter schools and amending P.L.1995, c.426.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 7 of P.L.1995, c.426 (C.18A:36A-7) is amended to read as follows:
7. A charter school shall be open to all students on a space available basis and shall not discriminate in its admission policies or practices on the basis of intellectual or athletic ability, measures of achievement or aptitude, status as a handicapped person, proficiency in the English language, or any other basis that would be illegal if used by a school district; however, a charter school may limit admission to, or establish an enrollment preference for, a particular grade level [or] , gender, or an underserved student population including, but not limited to, students with disabilities, English language learners, students with a substance abuse or dependence disorder, students who have withdrawn from school prior to graduation, students who have failed to achieve the required high school graduation requirements, pregnant or parenting teens, or any other student population category approved by the commissioner. Admission may also be limited to areas of concentration of the school, such as mathematics, science, or the arts. A charter school may establish reasonable criteria to evaluate prospective students which shall be outlined in the school's charter.
(cf: P.L.1995, c.426, s.7)
2. 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 shall select students to attend using a random selection process. 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 academic factors.
f. Applications for admission to a charter school shall be submitted on a uniform application form prescribed by the commissioner. The charter school shall make the application form available, to the extent feasible, in languages predominantly spoken in the community in which the charter school is located.
g. Notwithstanding any provision of this section to the contrary, the commissioner may permit a charter school, upon request, to establish an enrollment preference or an enrollment priority:
(1) for students residing in an attendance area within the school district in which the charter school is located, as identified by the charter school;
(2) if the charter school is located in an existing public school building, for the students residing in the attendance area previously served by that building; or
(3) for a student population category set forth in section 7 of P.L.1995, c.426 (C.18A:36A-7).
(cf: P.L.1995, c.426, s.8)
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill amends the "Charter School Program Act of 1995," P.L.1995, c.426 (C.18A:36A-1 et seq.), to permit charter schools to establish enrollment preferences for students of a particular gender or students from an underserved student population, including, students with disabilities, English language learners, students with a substance abuse or dependence disorder, students who have withdrawn from school prior to graduation, students who have failed to achieve the required high school graduation requirements, pregnant or parenting teens, or any other student population category approved by the Commissioner of Education. Under the bill the commissioner may permit charter schools to establish an enrollment preference or an enrollment priority:
· for the student population categories described above; or
· for students residing in an attendance area determined by the charter school. The attendance area would be within the school district in which the charter school is located; or
· if the charter school is located in an existing public school building, for the students residing in the attendance area previously served by that building.
The bill also requires applications for admission to a charter school to be submitted on a uniform application form prescribed by the commissioner. The charter schools will be required to make the application form available, to the extent feasible, in languages predominantly spoken in the community in which the charter school is located.
