Title 18A, Title 18A: EDUCATION

18A:36-4. Period of silence Principals and teachers in each public elementary and secondary school of each school district in this State shall permit students to observe a 1 minute period of silence to be used solely at the discretion of the individual student, before the opening…

18A:36-40 Written policy concerning electronic communications between school employees and students. 1. a. As used in this section, "electronic communication" means a communication transmitted by means of an electronic device including, but not limited to, a telephone, cellular p…

18A:36-40a Definitions. 1. As used in this act: “Board of education” means a board of education as defined in N.J.S.18A:18A-2, a board of trustees of a charter school, and a board of trustees of a renaissance school project. “Internet-enabled device” means a smartphone, tablet, s…

18A:36-40b Student use of internet-enabled devices during school-related hours, events, Commissioner of Education, guidelines. 2. a. To assist boards of education in developing policies concerning student use of internet-enabled devices during regular school hours, on a school bu…

18A:36-41 Development, distribution of guidelines concerning transgender students. 1. a. The Commissioner of Education shall develop and distribute to school districts guidelines concerning transgender students. The purposes of the guidelines shall be to provide direction for sch…

18A:36-42 Guidance, resources provided. 2. The Commissioner of Education shall provide school districts with guidance and resources regarding the following: a. providing professional development opportunities to teachers, administrators, guidance counselors, bus drivers, coaches,…

18A:36-43 Policy requiring students to carry school identification card under certain circumstances permitted. 1. a. Each school district may develop and implement a policy requiring all students to carry a school identification card issued by the district while the student is at…

18A:36-44 School student's right to freedom of speech and press. 1. a. Except as otherwise provided in section 2 of this act, a public school student shall have the right to exercise freedom of speech and of the press. b. By the first full school year next following the date of e…

18A:36-45 Definitions relative to student's right to freedom of speech and press. 2. a. As used in this section: "School-sponsored media" means any material that is prepared, substantially written, published, or broadcast by a student journalist at a public school, distributed or…

18A:36-5 "Special Education Week" designated. 2. The week beginning with the second Sunday in May of each year is designated as "Special Education Week" in the State of New Jersey in order to give the citizens of this State the opportunity to recognize the contribution of public …

18A:36-5.1 "School Violence Awareness Week"; designated. 2. The week beginning with the third Monday in October of each year is designated as "School Violence Awareness Week" in the State of New Jersey. School districts shall observe this week by organizing activities to prevent …

18A:36-6. Observance of flag day The principals and teachers in the public schools shall make suitable arrangements for the celebration, by appropriate exercises among the pupils in the schools, of June 14 in each year, as the day of the adoption of the American flag by the Conti…

18A:36-7. Designation of Arbor Day For the purpose of encouraging the planting of shade and forest trees and the designation of a uniform day throughout the nation, the last Friday of April in each year is hereby designated as a day for the general observance of that purpose, and…

18A:36A-1. Short title 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Charter School Program Act of 1995." L.1995,c.426,s.1.

18A:36A-10 Location of charter school. 10. a. A charter school shall be physically located, and provide all instruction, in part of an existing public school building, in space provided on a public work site, in a public building, or any other suitable location in the school dist…

18A:36A-11 Operation of charter school. 11. a. A charter school shall operate in accordance with its charter and the provisions of law and regulation which govern other public schools; except that, upon the request of the board of trustees of a charter school, the commissioner ma…

18A:36A-11.1 Requirements for member of board of trustees of a charter school. 7. a. A person may not serve as a member of the board of trustees of a charter school if he or she has been convicted of a crime or offense listed in N.J.S.18A:12-1. b. Each member of a charter school …

18A:36A-11.2 Requiring student representative as nonvoting member of charter school board that includes grades nine through 12; procedure; duties. 2. a. Notwithstanding any law, rule or regulation to the contrary, each board of trustees of a charter school that includes grades ni…

18A:36A-11.3 Experience necessary for charter school trustees. 13. An individual appointed to a board of trustees of a charter school following the effective date of P.L.2025, c.277 (C.18A:36A-2.1 et al.), other than a student representative appointed pursuant to section 2 of P.L…

18A:36A-11.4 Residency requirements for charter school trustees. 14. a. A minimum of 33 percent of the members of the board of trustees of a charter school shall maintain their principal residence or primary place of employment in the district or region in which the charter schoo…

18A:36A-11a Compliance with ownership disclosure provisions, management organization, charter schools. 20. A charter management organization or education management organization that receives payment for operating or managing a charter school, the source of which is State or loca…

18A:36A-12 Per pupil payments to charter schools. 12. a. (Deleted by amendment, P.L.2007, c.260). b. The school district of residence shall pay directly to the charter school for each student enrolled in the charter school who resides in the district an amount equal to 90% of the…

18A:36A-13. Transportation for students 13. The students who reside in the school district in which the charter school is located shall be provided transportation to the charter school on the same terms and conditions as transportation is provided to students attending the school…

18A:36A-14. Authority of board of trustees; employees. 14. a. The board of trustees of a charter school shall have the authority to decide matters related to the operations of the school, including budgeting, curriculum, and operating procedures, subject to the school's charter. …

18A:36A-14.1 Charter school budget to be posted on school’s website. 12. a. The budget adopted by a charter school for the school year shall be provided for public inspection on the homepage of the charter school’s Internet website and made available in print in a “user-friendly”…

18A:36A-14.2 Timeline of submission, compensation study, charter schools. 17. a. A board of trustees of a charter school shall submit a compensation study to the commissioner: (1) in any school year during which a charter school enters into, renews, or substantially modifies a co…

18A:36A-14.3 Public notice of amending, altering contract terms, lead person, business administrator, charter schools. 18. A board of trustees of a charter school shall not renegotiate, extend, amend, or otherwise alter the terms of a contract with a lead person or school busines…

18A:36A-14.4 Public notice of amending, altering contract terms, management organizations, charter schools. 19. A board of trustees of a charter school shall not renegotiate, extend, amend, or otherwise alter the terms of a contract with a charter management organization or educa…

18A:36A-14a Non-disclosure agreements, charter schools, employees. 16. a. As used in this section: “Non-disclosure agreement” means an agreement between the board of trustees of a charter school and an employee of the charter school arising out of an existing or anticipated emplo…

18A:36A-15. Complaints to board of trustees 15. Any individual or group may bring a complaint to the board of trustees of a charter school alleging a violation of the provisions of this act. If, after presenting the complaint to the board of trustees, the individual or group dete…

18A:36A-16 Annual assessment, review of charter schools, independent study, report, recommendations. 16. a. The commissioner shall annually assess whether each charter school is meeting the goals of its charter. The commissioner shall also conduct a comprehensive review prior to …

18A:36A-16.1 Annual report to include student exit numbers, charter schools. 7. a. Each charter school shall include information on the number of students exiting the charter school in the preceding school year in the annual report submitted by the charter school to the commissio…

18A:36A-17. Granting, renewal of charter. 17. a. A charter granted by the commissioner pursuant to the provisions of P.L.1995, c.426 (C.18A:36A-1 et seq.) shall be granted for a four-year period and may be renewed for a period of five or 10 years at the discretion of the commissi…

18A:36A-17.1 Commissioner's actions relative to possible loss, not granting of charter. 4. If at any time the commissioner determines that a board of trustees is in jeopardy of losing its charter or an applicant is in jeopardy of not being granted a charter, the commissioner shal…

18A:36A-17a Compensation study, charter school, renewal application review. 9. The Commissioner of Education shall consider the most recent compensation study submitted by the charter school and the charter school’s administrative costs over the past three years when reviewing an…

18A:36A-18. Rules, regulations 18. The State Board of Education shall adopt rules and regulations pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), necessary to effectuate the provisions of this act. L.1995,c.426,s.18.

18A:36A-2. Findings, declarations relative to establishment of charter schools 2. The Legislature finds and declares that the establishment of charter schools as part of this State's program of public education can assist in promoting comprehensive educational reform by providing…

18A:36A-2.1 Definitions. 1. As used in P.L.1995, c.426 (C.18A:36A-1 et seq.): “Charter management organization” means a nonprofit organization that is exempt from federal taxation pursuant to section 501(c)(3) of the federal Internal Revenue Code, 26 U.S.C. s.501(c)(3), which ope…

18A:36A-3. Charter school program established 3. a. The Commissioner of Education shall establish a charter school program which shall provide for the approval and granting of charters to charter schools pursuant to the provisions of this act. A charter school shall be a public s…

18A:36A-3.1 Application, renaissance school projects. 1. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the provisions of P.L.1995, c.426 (C.18A:36A-1 et seq.) shall not be construed as applying to renaissance school projects approved pursuant to the provisions of the “Urban Hop…

18A:36A-3.2 Charter school transparency website maintained by the Department of Education. 10. a. The Department of Education shall maintain, in a manner that is consistent with applicable federal law, a webpage on its Internet website for charter school transparency. The purpose…

18A:36A-4 Establishment of charter school. 4. a. A charter school may be established by teaching staff members, parents with children attending the schools of the district, or a combination of teaching staff members and parents. A charter school may also be established by an inst…

18A:36A-4.1 Conversion to charter school by certain nonpublic schools. 1. a. The governing body of a high-performing nonpublic school that is located in a failing school district may submit an application to the Commissioner of Education to convert the school to a charter school.…

18A:36A-5. Application for charter school. 5. The commissioner shall develop an application for the establishment of a charter school. The application shall include the following information: a. The identification of the charter applicant; b. The name of the proposed charter scho…

18A:36A-5.1 Review of charter school application, factors involved. 8. a. Prior to approving a charter school application and granting a charter, the Commissioner of Education shall review: (1) the application material submitted by the proposed charter school pursuant to section …

18A:36A-6. Powers of charter school 6. A charter school established pursuant to the provisions of this act shall be a body corporate and politic with all powers necessary or desirable for carrying out its charter program, including, but not limited to, the power to: a. Adopt a na…