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Committee advances bill to move special‑education funding from census to enrollment
Summary
Senate Bill 1767, released by the Senate Education Committee, would eliminate census‑based special‑education aid and base funding on actual enrollment; supporters said the change could direct tens to hundreds of millions to districts most in need, while officials warned state aid caps could blunt gains.
The Senate Education Committee on Monday released Senate Bill 1767, which would eliminate the use of census‑based funding in special‑education aid and shift the calculation to actual student enrollment.
Education stakeholders from multiple groups — including the Education Law Center, NJASA, NJBIA and local school boards — testified in favor, saying the change would direct more funding to districts with higher special‑education enrollment. "Fiscal year 26, ballpark of 60 to $90,000,000; fiscal year '27, ballpark a 150 to a $180,000,000," Jesse Young of the New Jersey School Boards Association said, offering rough statewide estimates of potential additional funding.
Local officials described district impacts. Rosemary Bernardi, a former school board member and member of a local fiscal advocacy group, said her K‑8 district has about 4,500 children with 894 in special education and that the district would receive more aid under the bill: "Eastern Town should receive $7,000,000 from the state. However, behind the scenes, the categorical aid that we should be receiving is $9,700,000," she said, and noted a 6% state‑aid cap that currently limits distribution.
Committee members and witnesses warned that statutory caps on yearly gains and losses (3%/6%) and the role of local fair share could limit the bill's short‑term effects for some districts. One school official advised that a tiered approach or updated extraordinary‑aid thresholds might better match costs for different disability categories.
After testimony and questions, the committee voted to release the bill for further consideration.
