New Jersey § 18a:7f-68

§ 18a:7f-68.

a. Notwithstanding the provisions of P.L.2007, c. 260 ( C.18A:7F-43 et al.) or any other law to the contrary, in the 2019-2020 through 2024-2025 school

years, a school district or county vocational school district in which the State aid

differential calculated is negative shall receive State school aid in an amount equal

to the sum of the district's State aid in the prior school year plus the district's

proportionate share of the sum of any increase in State aid included in the annual

appropriations act for that fiscal year and the total State aid reduction pursuant

to subsection b. of this section based on the district's State aid differential as

a percent of the Statewide total State aid differential among all school districts

and county vocational school districts for which the State aid differential is negative.

Any increase in State aid pursuant to this subsection shall first be allocated to

equalization aid, followed by special education categorical aid, security categorical

aid, and transportation aid, except that no category shall exceed the total amount

as calculated in accordance with the provisions of sections 11, 13, 14, and 15 of P.L.2007, c. 260 ( C.18A:7F-53 , C.18A:7F-55 , C.18A:7F-56 , and C.18A:7F-57 ), respectively. b. Except as provided pursuant to subsection c. of this section, and notwithstanding

the provisions of P.L.2007, c. 260 ( C.18A:7F-43 et al.) or any other law to the contrary, in the 2019-2020 through 2024-2025 school

years, a school district or county vocational school district in which the State aid

differential is positive shall receive State school aid in an amount equal to the

district's State aid in the prior school year minus a percent of the State aid differential

according to the following schedule: (1) 13 percent in the 2019-2020 school year; (2) 23 percent in the 2020-2021 school year; (3) 37 percent in the 2021-2022 school year; (4) 55 percent in the 2022-2023 school year; (5) 76 percent in the 2023-2024 school year; and (6) 100 percent in the 2024-2025 school year. c. (1) An SDA district that is located in a municipality in which the equalized total

tax rate is greater than the Statewide average equalized total tax rate for the most

recent available calendar year and is spending below adequacy as calculated pursuant

to section 1 of P.L.2018, c. 67 ( C.18A:7F-70 ) shall not be subject to a reduction in State aid pursuant to subsection b. of this

section. (2) An SDA district that is located in a municipality in which the equalized total

tax rate is greater than the Statewide average equalized total tax rate for the most

recent available calendar year and is spending above adequacy as calculated pursuant

to section 1 of P.L.2018, c. 67 ( C.18A:7F-70 ) shall be subject to a reduction not to exceed the amount by which the district is

spending above adequacy multiplied by the corresponding percentage included in subsection

b. of this section. (3) A school district, other than an SDA district, that is located in a municipality

in which the equalized total tax rate is at least 10 percent greater than the Statewide

average equalized total tax rate for the most recent available calendar year and is

spending at least 10 percent below adequacy as calculated pursuant to section 1 of P.L.2018, c. 67 ( C.18A:7F-70 ) shall not be subject to a reduction in State aid pursuant to subsection b. of this

section. (4) A school district that is a participating district under an application that is

approved for a grant pursuant to subsection a. of section 4 of P.L.2021, c. 402 ( C.18A:13-47.4 ) or a school district that is a participating district under an application that

receives preliminary approval pursuant to subsection b. of section 4 of P.L.2021, c. 402 ( C.18A:13-47.4 ) and that has a State aid differential that is positive may elect to receive State

school aid in an amount equal to the district's State aid in the prior school year

minus a percent of the State aid differential according to the following schedule: (a) 30 percent in the 2021-2022 school year; (b) 37 percent in the 2022-2023 school year; (c) 46 percent in the 2023-2024 school year; (d) 55 percent in the 2024-2025 school year; (e) 65.5 percent in the 2025-2026 school year; (f) 76 percent in the 2026-2027 school year; (g) 88 percent in the 2027-2028 school year; and (h) 100 percent in the 2028-2029 school year. A school district with a State aid differential that is positive, which is a participating

district under an application that is approved for a grant pursuant to subsection

a. of section 4 of P.L.2021, c. 402 ( C.18A:13-47.4 ) or that receives preliminary approval under subsection b. of section 4 of P.L.2021, c. 402 ( C.18A:13-47.4 ) but has not created or joined a limited purpose or all purpose regional school district

within two years following the grant application approval or preliminary approval

shall not be eligible to receive State aid according to the schedule enumerated in

this paragraph. As used in this paragraph, “ participating district ” means a school district whose board of education by resolution certifies a commitment

to participate in a feasibility study submitted as part of an application under the

grant program established pursuant to section 2 of P.L.2021, c. 402 ( C.18A:13-47.2 ). (5) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 32 of P.L.1996, c. 138 ( C.18A:7F-32 ) or any other law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, a school district that is

a regional school district created following the approval of a grant application pursuant

to section 4 of P.L.2021, c. 402 ( C.18A:13-47.4 ) shall, from the first full school year following the creation of the regional school

district through the 2028-2029 school year, receive State school aid in an amount

that is the greater of: (a) the amount of State school aid that the newly created regional school district

would receive as a regional school district; or (b) the sum of the amount of State school aid received by each school district constituting

the newly created regional school district prior to the creation of such regional

school district. (6) A school district shall not be not be subject to a reduction in State aid pursuant

to this section provided that: (a) the district is a regional school district consisting of at least five constituent

school districts; (b) the district has mitigated costs of regionalization, as determined by the Commissioner

of Education; (c) for the most recent school year for which data is available, the district's administrative

costs per pupil are 15 percent lower than the Statewide average administrative costs

per pupil for regional school districts; and (d) the district's general fund tax levy has been increased by the maximum amount

permitted pursuant to section 3 of P.L.2007, c. 62 ( C.18A:7F-38 ) in each of the last five school years. A school district that is exempt from a reduction in State aid pursuant to paragraph

(6) of subsection c. of this section shall provide courtesy busing to pupils who reside

in the district, provided that the district was providing courtesy busing prior to

the school year in which it is exempt from a reduction in State aid. d. Any decrease in State aid pursuant to subsection b. or c. of this section shall

first be deducted from a school district's or county vocational school district's

allotment of adjustment aid. Any additional reduction shall be deducted from the school district's or county vocational

school district's allotment of non-SFRA aids, followed by equalization aid, special

education categorical aid, security aid, and transportation aid. e. Any remaining adjustment aid or non-SFRA aids shall be reallocated to other State

aid categories in a manner to be determined by the commissioner.