Welcome to School Board Notes

March 7, 2007 • Vol. XXX • No. 28

Budget Planner Budget Watch Capitol Watch Legislature Sets Budget Hearings Workshop Public Advocate: Place Burden of Proof in Special Ed Cases on Boards New Legislation Reduces Mandates NJSBA News Eighth Grade Dialogue My School and I Calendar Click here for a pdf version of this issue of School Board Notes	SPECIAL FEATURE Budget Planner for Board Members

	The Facts about At-Risk Aid Targeted at-risk aid comes with restrictions that will prevent the vast majority of eligible school districts from using the funds for property-tax relief or to free up money for other purposes. Part of Gov. Jon S. Corzine’s proposed state budget, the at-risk funding—new for 2007-2008—amounts to approximately $66 million statewide and will be directed to non-Abbott school districts with concentrations of low income students.

	Clock Ticks on Special Session Bills Major bills affecting public education and school board operations have passed both houses of the state Legislature, but still await final approval from Gov. Jon S. Corzine.

	Legislature Sets Budget Hearings The Assembly Budget Committee will hold two public hearings on the Fiscal Year 2007-2008 State Budget. The hearings will begin at 9:30 a.m.

	March 23: Final Deadline for 2007 Program Proposals NJSBA will extend the deadline for Workshop 2007 Action Lab and Group Session proposals to Friday, March 23. The extension resulted from district closings due to inclement weather, as well as from numerous member requests

	Public Advocate: Place Burden of Proof in Special Ed Cases on Boards New Jersey’s public advocate is asking the Legislature to place the burden of proof in all special education due process hearings on local school districts. Such action would circumvent a 2005 U.S. Supreme Court ruling strongly supported by the NJSBA.

	New Legislation Reduces Mandates School boards will be dealing with fewer bureaucratic requirements this budget season as a result of the recent enactment of Assembly Bill 17.

	NJSBA Board of Directors to Meet In accordance with the Open Public Meetings Act, notice is hereby provided of a meeting of the Board of Directors of the New Jersey School Boards Association. The meeting will be held at the Robert Wood Johnson Conference Center, 3100 Quakerbridge Road, Mercerville, New Jersey (near Exit 65-A of I-295), on Friday, March 16, 2007 at 7:30 p.m. Executive Committee to Meet In accordance with the Open Public Meetings Act, notice is hereby provided of a closed session teleconference meeting of the New Jersey School Boards Association’s Executive Committee. The meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 14, 2007, 5:30 p.m. at the NJSBA headquarters, 413 West State Street, Trenton. NJSBA Leaders Attend Summit Top state and national leaders have been invited to the National Summit on Public Education in 21^st Century America held in Washington, D.C. this weekend.

	Eighth Grade Dialogue The Gloucester County School Boards Association recently held its annual 8th Grade Dialogue Program at the Glassboro Intermediate School.

	My School and I Thirteen middle school students participated in Cumberland County School Boards Association's annual "My School and I Program" in Vineland.

	Calendar

	Training Programs and Resources Browse NJSBA’s Bookstore for the latest publications on school governance. Board Member Academy Programs