Sponsored by:
Assemblyman RONALD S. DANCER
District 12 (Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean)
SYNOPSIS
Provides 50% State matching funds to support shared services agreements between municipalities and districts with efficient pupil transportation systems for the provision of public school hazardous busing.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning public school hazardous busing and amending N.J.S.18A:39-1.2.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. N.J.S.18A:39-1.2 is amended to read as follows:
18A:39-1.2. a. Whenever the governing body of a municipality finds that for safety reasons it is desirable to provide transportation to and from a school for pupils living within the municipality, other than those living remote from the school or those physically handicapped or with an intellectual disability, the governing body and the board of education of the district are authorized to enter into a contract pursuant to the ["Interlocal Services Act," P.L.1973, c.208 (C.40:8A-1 et seq.)] "Uniform Shared Services and Consolidation Act," P.L.2007, c.63 (C.40A:65-1 et seq.), under the terms of which the board shall provide such transportation. Any funds required to be paid by the municipality to the board of education under such a contract shall be appropriated by the governing body and paid to the secretary or treasurer of school moneys, as appropriate, of the district. The governing body of the municipality may charge the parents or guardians of children who are transported for safety reasons in order to help defray expenses, provided that no charge shall be imposed on the parent or guardian of any child who meets the Statewide eligibility standards established by the State Board of Education for free and reduced price meals under the State school lunch program. The amount of any charges and the method of collection shall be specified in the contract between the municipal governing body and the board of education. Nothing in this section shall prevent a board of education from providing transportation at its own expense.
b. If the governing body
of a municipality finds that for safety reasons it is desirable to provide
transportation to and from a school for pupils living within the municipality,
other than those living remote from the school or those pupils transported
pursuant to chapter 46 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes, the governing
body and a board of education of a school district with a regular vehicle
capacity utilization of 140% or greater as reported in the Department of
Education's Comparative Spending Guide may enter into a contract pursuant to
the "Uniform Shared Services and Consolidation Act," P.L.2007, c.63 (C.40A:65-1
et seq.), under the terms of which the board provides the transportation. Fifty
percent of the transportation shall be funded jointly by the municipality and
the district pursuant to a formula determined in the contract and
50% shall be funded through State matching funds. Any funds required to be
paid by the municipality to the board of education under the contract shall be
appropriated by the governing body and paid to the treasurer of school moneys
of the district.
(cf: P.L.2010, c.50, s.11)
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill provides that if a municipality determines to provide pupil transportation to its students due to hazardous route conditions and enters into a shared services agreement with a school district that has a regular vehicle capacity utilization of 140% or greater, the transportation provided pursuant to the contract will be funded 50% through State matching funds and 50% jointly by the municipality and the district according to a formula determined in the shared services agreement.
It is the intention of the sponsor of this bill to encourage shared services agreements between municipalities and school districts and to foster cooperative working relationships between these entities. The fact that State matching funds will only be provided in the case of shared services agreements involving school districts with a high vehicle capacity utilization rate will serve as an incentive for school districts to strive for more efficient pupil transportation systems, and thereby help to achieve taxpayer savings.