NEW JERSEY — A newly introduced bill aims to establish a nonpublic school consortium transportation program, offering a novel approach to managing transportation for nonpublic school students. The program, designed to be funded by participating school districts, will disburse an amount equivalent to the aid in-lieu-of transportation amount, currently $1,022, to the consortium for each eligible student.
The bill would allow the township of Jackson and the Jackson public school district to provide bussing funds of $1,022 per private school pupil to a third party fund independent of the district in order to manage school bus funding. That change would empower private schools in towns like Lakewood and Jackson, with a large population of private school students to maintain control of the funds allocated for transportation.
The consortium will assume responsibility for transporting students from participating nonpublic schools. If transportation costs exceed the set aid amount, parents or guardians are eligible to receive the aid in-lieu-of transportation amount from the consortium for the affected school year. Additionally, the consortium may offer non-mandated busing services to students, with the costs fully covered by their parents or guardians.
The bill stipulates annual refunds to the Department of Education for any unspent funds. It also mandates the formation of an oversight committee, appointed by the Commissioner of Education, to monitor the program’s implementation. This committee will include representatives from both the nonpublic schools in the consortium and participating school districts.
Furthermore, an independent entity is required to audit the program annually, with findings submitted to the commissioner by December 1 each year. The bill clarifies that its provisions will not alter the existing state payments for nonpublic school transportation costs under N.J.S.A.18A:39-1a for any school district in the program.