New Jersey A 2729: Establishes School Funding Formula Evaluation Task Force.

Bill Text

A2729 

ASSEMBLY, No. 2729 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

� 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman ANDREA KATZ

District 8 (Atlantic and Burlington)

Assemblywoman MITCHELLE DRULIS

District 16 (Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex and Somerset)

Assemblyman MICHAEL VENEZIA

District 34 (Essex)

SYNOPSIS

���� Establishes School Funding Formula Evaluation Task 
Force.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT 

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative 
Counsel.

�� 

An Act establishing the School Funding Formula Evaluation Task 
Force.

���� Be It 
Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of 
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.� a.� There is established 
the School Funding Formula Evaluation Task Force.� The purpose of the task 
force shall be to study, evaluate, and assess the provision of State school aid 
pursuant to the �School Funding Reform Act of 2008,� P.L.2007, c.260 (C.18A:7F-43 
et al.).� 

���� b.��� The task force shall 
consist of seven members, as follows:

���� (1)� the Commissioner of 
Education or a designee; and 

���� (2)� six public members, each 
of whom shall have educational experience and expertise in education and 
municipal finance and school budgeting. Two of the members shall be appointed 
by the Senate President, two of the members shall be appointed by the Speaker 
of the General Assembly, one shall be appointed by the Minority Leader of the 
Senate, and one shall be appointed by the Minority Leader of the General 
Assembly.� 

���� c.� The appointments to the 
task force shall be made within 30 days of the effective date of this act.� 
Vacancies in the membership of the task force shall be filled in the same 
manner as the original appointments were made.� Members of the task force shall 
serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for necessary expenditures 
incurred in the performance of their duties as members of the task force within 
the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the task force 
for its purposes.

���� d.��� The task force shall 
organize as soon as practicable, but no later than 30 days following the 
appointment of its members.� The task force shall choose a chairperson from 
among its members and shall appoint a secretary who need not be a member of the 
task force.

���� e.� (1)� The task force shall 
hold meetings at the request of the chairperson and shall hold a minimum of 
three public meetings, which shall each be held in the northern, central, and 
southern regions of the State.� The meetings may take place in-person or through 
remote means.� It shall be the purpose of the public meetings to seek input and 
gather testimony on the effects of the State�s current school funding formula 
and potential areas for improvement within the formula from education 
stakeholders including, but not limited to, education finance experts, school 
leaders, school business officials, school board members, and members of the 
public.� 

���� (2)� During meetings of the 
task force, the Department of Education shall make available to the members of 
the task force and to the public the data inputs and calculations used by the 
department in formulating State school aid for all school districts under the 
�School Funding Reform Act of 2008,� P.L.2007, c.260 (C.18A:7F-43 et al.) and 
P.L.2018, c.67 (C.18A:7F-67 et al.) including, but not limited to, the software 
program algorithm used by the department to annually determine the property 
value rate and the income value rate pursuant to subsection c. of section 10 of 
P.L.2007, c.260 (C.18A:7F-52).

���� f.���� The Department of 
Education shall provide such stenographic, clerical, and other administrative 
assistants, and such professional staff as the task force requires to carry out 
its work.� The task force also shall be entitled to call to its assistance and 
avail itself of the services of the employees of any State, county, or 
municipal department, board, bureau, commission, or agency as it may require 
and as may be available for its purposes.

���� 2.��� It shall be the duty of 
the task force to study the effectiveness of, and provide recommendations on 
potentially improving, various aspects of the �School Funding Reform Act of 
2008,� P.L.2007, c.260 (C.18A:7F-43 et al.), including, but not limited to:

���� a.� the manner in which school 
district adequacy budgets and local shares are calculated;

���� b.� the current methodology of 
measuring and weighting at-risk students and students with limited English 
proficiency and the impacts on the educational outcomes of those students;� 

���� c.� the weights applied to 
students in different grade levels, as well as those applied to students 
enrolled in county vocational school districts; 

���� d.� the current methodology 
used to calculate the geographic cost adjustment;

���� e.� the use of the 
census-based funding methodology used in the formula for determining the amount 
of State