§ 18A:44-9 — Universal Preschool Implementation Steering Committee.

New Jersey § 18A:44-9

• Jurisdiction: New Jersey
• Title 18A: EDUCATION

Text

9. a. There is established in the Department of Education a Universal Preschool Implementation Steering Committee. The members of the committee shall be as follows: (1) the Commissioner of Education, or a designee; (2) the Commissioner of Children and Families, or a designee; (3) the Commissioner of Human Services, or a designee; (4) the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development, or a designee; (5) the Commissioner of Health, or a designee; (6) the Chief Executive Officer of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, or a designee; (7) one member appointed by the President of the Senate, who shall be an employee of the Legislature; and (8) one member appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, who shall be an employee of the Legislature. b. The duties of the committee shall be as follows: (1) recommending to the Governor and Legislature a funding methodology for preschool costs to be implemented for all school districts beginning in the 2028-2029 school year, which may include proposing a Preschool Adequacy Budget and preschool education aid formula modeled after the calculation of equalization aid pursuant to section 11 of P.L.2007, c.260 (C.18A:7F-53); (2) evaluating the pilot program established pursuant to subsection h. of section 12 of P.L.2007, c.260 (C.18A:7F-54) for school districts that first receive preschool education aid in the 2025-2026, 2026-2027, and 2027-2028 school years; (3) proposing methods to incentivize school districts to pursue mixed delivery partnerships with licensed child care providers and Head Start programs; (4) proposing optional methods for school districts to establish centralized enrollment systems that prioritize family choice first in determining a preschool student's placement setting; (5) analyzing whether providing an adjustment to school districts' tax levy growth limitation related to preschool costs is necessary or beneficial to the State's preschool expansion efforts; and (6) recommending any appropriate means by which the State can seek to strengthen and expand the preschool workforce. c. The steering committee shall convene one or more local subcommittees to solicit input from local practitioners to facilitate completion of the requirements set forth in subsection b. of this section. d. The steering committee shall organize within 90 days of the effective date of P.L.2025, c.100 (C.18A:44-7 et al.). L.2025, c.100, s.9.