Bill Text: NJ S3864 | 2018-2019 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes task force to examine leasing for nonpublic school facilities to school districts for purpose of implementing programs for which districts lack facility space.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-06-03 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Education Committee [S3864 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2018-S3864-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator PATRICK J. DIEGNAN, JR.
District 18 (Middlesex)
Senator NICHOLAS J. SACCO
District 32 (Bergen and Hudson)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes task force to examine leasing of nonpublic school facilities to school districts for purpose of implementing programs for which districts lack facility space.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act establishing a task force to examine the leasing of nonpublic schools for school district programs.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. There is created a task force to study the issue of leasing nonpublic school facility space to school districts for the purpose of implementing programs for which the school districts lack their own facility space. The task force shall consist of the following five members:
(1) the Commissioner of Education, or a designee; and
(2) four members appointed by the Governor, who shall include: one member upon the recommendation of the New Jersey School Boards Association; one member upon the recommendation of the New Jersey Association of School Administrators; one member upon the recommendation of New Jersey Realtors; and one member upon the recommendation of the New Jersey Catholic Conference.
b. Appointments to the task force shall be made within 30 days of the effective date of this act. Vacancies in the membership of the task force shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments were made.
c. Members of the task force shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for necessary expenditures incurred in the performance of their duties as members of the task force within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the task force for its purposes.
2. a. The task force shall organize as soon as practicable, but no later than 30 days following the appointment of its members. The task force shall choose a chairperson from among its members and shall appoint a secretary who need not be a member of the task force.
b. The Department of Education shall provide such stenographic, clerical, and other administrative assistants, and such professional staff as the task force requires to carry out its work. The task force also shall be entitled to call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of the employees of any State, county, or municipal department, board, bureau, commission, or agency as it may require and as may be available for its purposes.
3. It shall be the duty of the task force to study and make recommendations regarding the leasing of nonpublic school facility space to school districts for the purpose of implementing programs for which the school districts lack facility space. The task force shall study and consider issues including, but not limited to:
a. the desire of school districts to implement certain additional programs for which the districts do not have sufficient facility space, which may include, but are not limited to, preschool and kindergarten programs;
b. whether multiple school districts could benefit from jointly conducting a program in the same nonpublic school facility space;
c. the availability of facility space in nonpublic schools and the potential willingness of nonpublic schools to lease unused facility space to school districts;
d. the types of school district programs for which the leasing of nonpublic school facility space may be particularly useful or needed; and
e. ways in which the Department of Education could coordinate efforts between school districts and nonpublic schools to facilitate mutually beneficial leasing arrangements.
The task force shall make recommendations based on its findings, including recommendations on the advisability and feasibility of establishing leasing arrangements between nonpublic schools and school districts which allow districts to implement programs for which they lack their own facility space.
4. The task force shall issue a final report of its findings and recommendations to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), no later than six months after the task force organizes.
5. This act shall take effect immediately, and the task force shall expire 30 days after the issuance of its report.
STATEMENT
This bill establishes a five-member task force to study the issue of leasing nonpublic school facility space to school districts for the purpose of implementing programs for which the school districts lack their own facility space. The task force will consist of the Commissioner of Education or a designee, and four members appointed by the Governor as follows: one member upon the recommendation of the New Jersey School Boards Association; one member upon the recommendation of the New Jersey Association of School Administrators; one member upon the recommendation of New Jersey Realtors; and one member upon the recommendation of the New Jersey Catholic Conference.
Under the bill, the task force is directed to study and consider the leasing of nonpublic school facility space to school districts including, but not limited to, the following issues:
· the desire of school districts to implement certain additional programs for which the districts do not have sufficient facility space, which may include, but are not limited to, preschool and kindergarten programs;
· whether multiple school districts could benefit from jointly conducting a program in the same nonpublic school facility space;
· the availability of facility space in nonpublic schools and the potential willingness of nonpublic schools to lease unused facility space to school districts;
· the types of school district programs for which the leasing of nonpublic school facility space may be particularly useful or needed; and
· ways in which the Department of Education could coordinate efforts between school districts and nonpublic schools to facilitate mutually beneficial leasing arrangements.
The task force will also make recommendations based on its findings, including recommendations on the advisability and feasibility of establishing leasing arrangements between nonpublic schools and school districts which allow districts to implement programs for which they lack their own facility space. The task force is required to issue a final report of its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature within six months of its organization.
