The New Jersey Department of Education is providing school district boards of education and charter school boards of trustees the option to extend the implementation of their 2019-2022 Comprehensive Equity Plan through school year 2022-2023, according to an NJDOE memo.
Pursuant to N.J.A.C.6A:7-1.4(c), every district board of education and charter school board of trustees — referred to hereinafter as local educational agencies, or LEAs — must develop and submit to the NJDOE a CEP every three years and identify and correct all discriminatory practices and inequitable educational and hiring policies, patterns, programs and practices affecting its facilities, programs, students and staff.
LEAs were last required to develop and submit updated CEPs in the 2018-2019 school year, and therefore are required to develop and submit updated CEPs in the 2021-2022 school year by June 30.
However, the NJDOE is reviewing N.J.A.C. 6A:7 for consideration of amendments that might become effective in 2023. These amendments could impact the elements of the CEP. The option to extend the implementation of the existing CEP for one year allows LEAs to delay CEP development and submission by one year while the NJDOE maps its course.
To fulfill its regulatory requirement to provide a CEP every three years, an LEA may extend implementation of its current CEP by one year by submitting a statement of assurance to its executive county superintendent pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:7-1.4(d) by June 30. The NJDOE will consider such a SOA to satisfy that LEA’s requirement for the 2022-2023 school year to develop a CEP.
An LEA that does not choose to extend implementation of its current CEP by one year must submit its updated CEP to its executive county superintendent pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:7-1.4(c) by June 30.
Contact your county offices of education with questions.