School Board Notes
New Jersey's weekly education report offers up-to-date information on legislation, court decisions and other developments affecting school districts.
March 1, 2022 • Vol. XLV No. 28
Articles
Voters to Decide School Construction Proposals, More on March 8
Voters will head to the polls for a special election March 8 to decide various school construction proposals – and they will also elect two board members for a district that has switched from being a Type 1 to a Type 2 district.
NJSBA Legislative Committee Reviews Important Legislation and Welcomes a Special Guest
The Legislative Committee of the New Jersey School Boards Association held a virtual meeting Saturday, Feb. 26, with state Sen. Vin Gopal of Legislative District 11, chair of the Senate Education Committee, addressing stakeholders on a variety of issues.
Ethics Update, Part 2: SEC Releases New Advisory Opinions
The School Ethics Commission recently released 10 new advisory opinions. Through advisory opinions, the SEC opines on whether a board member’s prospective conduct would violate the School Ethics Act. This article is the second of a two-part series discussing these new advisory opinions.
NJSBA Executive Director Search Underway
The NJSBA's Executive Director Search Committee has been formed and has taken its first steps toward finding a replacement for Dr. Lawrence S. Feinsod, who is retiring as the Association’s executive director.
NJSBA Testifies on Teacher Shortage
At the hearing, NJSBA’s Vincent DeLucia, educator-in-residence, and John Burns, senior legislative counsel, presented testimony outlining recent legislative efforts to alleviate the teacher shortage and pressed the Legislature to consider further changes to meet the needs of school districts.
New CDC Guidance Suggests Most Can Go Unmasked Indoors, Including on School Buses
The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention recently revised its masking guidance to suggest that most people in the United States do not have to wear masks indoors, including on school buses.
Legislative Update: COVID-Related Special Education Claims Measure Heads to Governor
On Monday, Feb. 28, the Assembly gave final legislative approval to a bill that would give parents and school districts additional time to settle any disputes concerning the provision of special education services while schools were providing instruction in a predominantly remote or hybrid environment due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
NJSBA Wins Runner-Up Honors for Best Nonprofit Event for Virtual Workshop
The awards recognize organizations that held stellar virtual and hybrid events on the vFairs platform, which included more than 2,000 events, serving more than 1.5 million attendees from over 150 countries in 2021.
Sign Up for the Next NJSBA ‘Wind Down’ Program
With a focus on school finance, the latest session drew more than 50 attendees who moved between different breakout rooms that focused on specific finance topics. At the end of the program, attendees met back in a main room where they reviewed key points from their individual sessions.
New Legislation Impacting School Security Drills
On Jan. 10, 2022, Gov. Phil Murphy signed Senate Bill 3726, concerning school security drills and supplementing Chapter 41 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
New Resource Highlights How States Use American Rescue Plan Funds to Reengage Students through Career and Technical Education
The U.S. Department of Education recently released a new fact sheet highlighting ways states and school districts are using American Rescue Plan funds to reengage students and enhance academic learning by expanding career and technical education opportunities.