Bill Text: NJ S4118 | 2026-2027 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: "Fairness for School Districts in Development Restricted Areas Act"; provides additional State school aid to certain school districts located in municipalities that are part of Highlands or Pinelands preservation areas.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 4)
Status: (Introduced) 2026-05-11 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Education Committee [S4118 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2026-S4118-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator ANTHONY M. BUCCO
District 25 (Morris and Passaic)
Senator LATHAM TIVER
District 8 (Atlantic and Burlington)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senator Space
SYNOPSIS
"Fairness for School Districts in Development Restricted Areas Act"; provides additional State school aid to certain school districts located in municipalities that are part of Highlands or Pinelands preservation areas.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning State school aid for certain school districts, designated as the Fairness for School Districts in Development Restricted Areas Act, 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, "qualifying school district" means a school district that:
(1) experienced a net loss in State school aid in the 2024-2025 school year compared to the 2017-2018 school year pursuant to section 4 of P.L.2018, c.67 (C.18A:7F-68);
(2) has a resident enrollment greater than 500 students; and
(3) is located wholly in a municipality in which at least 25 percent of the total acreage of the municipality is situated in the Highlands preservation area designated by subsection b. of section 7 of P.L.2004, c.120 (C.13:20-7) or the Pinelands preservation area designated by subsection b. of section 10 of P.L.1979, c.111 (C.13:18A-11).
A qualifying school district shall not include regional school districts other than all-purpose regional school districts in which one or more of the constituent school districts is wholly located in a municipality in which at least 25 percent of the total acreage of the municipality is situated in the Highlands preservation area or the Pinelands preservation area.
b. In addition to any other State school aid provided pursuant to the provisions of P.L.2007, c.260 (C.18A:7F-43 et al.), a qualifying school district shall be eligible to receive additional State school aid pursuant to this section. The additional State school aid shall equal the product of multiplying $250 by the number of acres in the municipality in which the qualifying school district is located that are situated in the Highlands preservation area or the Pinelands preservation area. A qualifying school district with resident enrollment greater than 500 students but less than 1,000 students, however, shall not receive an allocation of additional State school aid pursuant to this section that exceeds $2,500,000 in any school year. A qualifying school district with resident enrollment greater than 1,000 students shall not receive an allocation of additional State school aid pursuant to this section that exceeds $5,000,000 in any school year.
2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall first apply to the first full school year following the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill, designated as the "Fairness for School Districts in Development Restricted Areas Act," provides additional State school aid to certain school districts located in municipalities that are part of the Highlands preservation area or the Pinelands preservation area as established by current law.
As defined by the bill, a qualifying school district is one that experienced a net loss in State school aid pursuant to the provisions of P.L.2018, c.67, otherwise known as "S2," and has a resident enrollment of over 500 students. In addition, a qualifying school district is required to be wholly located in a municipality in which at least 25 percent of the total acreage of the municipality is situated in the Highlands preservation area or the Pinelands preservation area. A qualifying school district's allocation of aid under the bill would equal the product of multiplying $250 by the number of acres in the municipality in which the qualifying school district is located that are situated in the Highlands preservation area or the Pinelands preservation area. The bill limits the total amount a qualifying school district may receive in a given school year, however, depending on the number of students enrolled in the district.
Development restrictions implemented as part of the "Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act" and the "Pinelands Protection Act" have hampered the ability of many municipalities to collect much-needed property tax revenue that could be used to enhance local services. This inability to collect additional revenue acutely affects schools in these municipalities, especially ones that have recently experienced significant reductions in State school aid pursuant to P.L.2018, c.67 (commonly referred to as "S2"). This bill seeks to support those school districts that have lost State support in recent years and have not been able to benefit from additional tax revenue that could have been realized were it not for development limitations imposed by State action.
