Bill Would Achieve DA Goal of Allowing Tuition for Summer School

A bill has been introduced in the state Legislature that would allow school boards to charge tuition for summer school. The bill would achieve a goal set by the NJSBA Delegate Assembly on May 15 to secure legislation that would allow school districts to charge for summer programs.

Currently, any district that offers remedial or advanced classes is prohibited by the state from charging for the service. The Glassboro Board of Education’s resolution approved by the May 15 Delegate Assembly called for a change allowing districts to charge, noting that school boards are finding it increasingly difficult to continue offering such services due to severe cuts in school funding.

The bill, S-1974 (Sacco, Whelan), was introduced in the Senate on May 27. An identical version, A-2794 (Prieto, Quigley, Riley), has been introduced in the Assembly.

“The NJSBA believes that boards of education should be permitted to charge fees to pupils attending summer, weekend, advanced or enrichment programs for credit or non-credit. The NJSBA further believes that districts should assume the cost for those students who do not have the ability to pay as determined by federal and/or state law,” said Michael Vrancik, NJSBA’s director of Governmental Relations, in a letter to Assemblyman Vincent Prieto, sponsor of the bill. “A-2794 would give districts the ability to continue to offer these classes in today’s challenging fiscal environment.”

If a student is from a household that is at or below the most recent federal poverty guidelines, the district would not be allowed to charge any tuition for summer programs, according to the bill. For all other students, the district could charge tuition ranging from 50 to 100 percent of tuition, based on the student’s household income.

The bills will go to the Assembly and the Senate Education Committees.

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