Sen. Ruiz Pushes For NJ Bill That Tackles Student Dropout Rate

NEWARK, NJ — A proposed state law that aims to lower the student dropout rate in New Jersey advanced in the Legislature on Thursday.

The Senate Education Committee unanimously voted to release S-3080, which now heads to the Budget and Appropriations Committee for further review. Read its full text here.

According to its primary sponsor, Senate Majority Leader Teresa Ruiz (District 29), here’s what the bill will do if it becomes law:

“The bill would establish the ‘Office of Dropout Prevention and Reengagement of Out-of-School Youth’ within the Department of Education, along with the ‘Student Dropout Prevention Task Force.’ They would be tasked with creating a comprehensive statewide plan to identify and address the underlying factors which lead to students dropping out of school, as well as the issues they face after they drop out and the challenges they encounter when they attempt to reenroll and continue their education.”

The task force would be required to issue its recommendations for action to the governor and the Legislature no later than nine months following its organization.

A companion bill, A-398, has been introduced in the state Assembly; Primary sponsors include Assembly members Ralph Caputo, Thomas Giblin and Cleopatra Tucker.

On Thursday, Ruiz released the following statement in support of the bill:

“In this state, every effort should be made to ensure our youth are adequately engaged and all educational needs are being met so that they have every opportunity to succeed in school and beyond. We see troublingly high numbers of disconnected youth and dropout rates in many districts around the state. We have to develop an effective strategy that includes solutions that address the underlying factors that contribute to this statewide problem. That is why we need to ensure that the right professionals are at the table discussing how to better align strategies and resources throughout all of our government divisions. This legislation will place a greater focus on all of these components that lead to students leaving and disengaging from our education system, allowing us to develop a plan for addressing these issues and making it easier for children to return.”

The recently redrawn 29th district includes the municipalities of Newark in Essex County, and East Newark and Harrison in Hudson County.

A group of North Jersey students with ties to Newark recently made a trip to the Statehouse in Trenton to advocate for the proposed law – and meet with Ruiz for a tour. Read More: From Broad Street To State Street: NJ Students Push For 'Dropout Law'

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