8 Big Changes In NJ Schools In 2019

You won't have to worry about passing PARCC to graduate. And if you're on a school bus, you have to wear a seatbelt – a good one that will keep you in your seat.

And, as usual, you're probably going to have to pay more money – even if you don't have kids in school.

These are just some of the eight significant changes coming to New Jersey schools in 2019 that will largely deal with safety enhancements, funding changes and testing requirements.

Read more: 5 New Tax Hikes, Fees In NJ Start Now

Here are those changes:

No more PARCC graduation test?

A court on Monday struck down New Jersey's rules that forced students to pass PARCC tests before graduating high school.

In a unanimous opinion, a three-judge panel of the Appellate Division of the Superior Court of New Jersey struck down the state Department of Education's regulations designating the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) end-of-course exams as the requirement for obtaining a high school diploma.

Read more: PARCC Requirements For NJ High School Graduation Struck Down

The court held that the current rules violated provisions of the Proficiency Standards and Assessments Act. This statute, enacted by the Legislature in 1979 and amended in 1988, authorizes the DOE to administer a single, eleventh-grade test in language arts and math to determine proficiency under state curriculum standards for graduation.

The court made clear that while the DOE may decide what test to use, "the regulations violate the act to the extent they specifically authorize multiple tests administered in grades other than the 11th grade."

The court did stay its judgment for 30 days to permit the DOE to seek further review by the New Jersey Supreme Court.

Gov. Phil Murphy has called for eliminating PARCC, but his administration has backpeddled on that stance as it struggles to find an alternative.

Upgrading school bus seat belts

Murphy has signed legislation requiring seat belts on certain school buses be upgraded in response to a school bus crash in May 2018 in which a teacher and student were killed.

The law, which modifies an already existing law, requires school buses to be equipped with three-point lap and shoulder seat belts for each seat.

East Brook Middle School teacher Jennifer Williamson-Kennedy and 10-year-old Miranda Vargas died in the May 17 crash. There were 38 students on the bus and seven adults from Paramus when the bus collided with a dump truck on Route 80. All of them were injured, some critically.

Read more: Murphy Signs School Bus Seat Belt Legislation Into Law

"We will never know if a three-point belt would have saved the lives of Miranda Vargas and Jennifer Williamson, or whether they would have prevented serious injury to so many others on May 17," Murphy said. "Every child and every educator and adult chaperone deserves our best effort to protect their safety and the best possible chance of emerging unharmed in the unfortunate event of a school bus accident. For Miranda and Mrs. Williamson and for all the children in New Jersey and for their families and communities, I am honored to sign this legislation."

Keeping sexual predators and child abusers away from the classrooms

Murphy has signed bill into law that could make schools much safer, keeping sexual predators and child abusers away from the classrooms in what was described as "pass the trash" legislation.

And the bill would especially work to prevent teachers who were suspended or fired from one district for inappropriate behavior from working in another district.

Read more: Gov. Murphy Signs Bill Into Law That Could Make Schools Safer

Murphy signed a bill this week (S-414/A-3381) that requires school districts, charter schools, nonpublic schools, and contracted service providers to review the employment history of prospective employees who will have regular contact with students.

The objective, he said, is to determine whether candidates have a history of child abuse or sexual misconduct.

Getting less money

One of the big things that stalled budget talks – and nearly led to a state shutdown of the government last year – was a debate over school funding. Looks like Murphy may not have won the argument.

After proposing sizable increases for many districts under his original plan, 205 school districts are getting less money than what the Murphy administration originally promised them.

Senate President Steve Sweeney, meanwhile, got the upper hand in his argument to fully fund a number of districts that had been promised more money for years.

Read more: New Budget: 205 NJ School Districts Get Less Money Than Promised

The Murphy administration says the new figures take significant steps to begin the process of fully and fairly funding New Jersey school districts, saying that $8.5 billion will be disbursed to the state's school districts, including an additional $68 million to bring aid in balance for underfunded districts.

Four changes for school safety

Murphy signed a package of school bus safety bills into law recently that were inspired by the horrific fatal school bus crash on I-80 that killed a teacher and child earlier this year.

Murphy signed a series of bills that raise safety standards for school buses and operators in New Jersey.

Under the new laws, parents will be able to send their children to school knowing that school buses and drivers are being held to "extremely high standards designed to ensure the safety of students," Murphy said.

Read more: Gov. Phil Murphy Signs 6 School Bus Safety Bills Into Law

The legislation signed by Murphy, and their sponsors, enshrines in law the following requirements:

• A4339 (Swain, Tully, Benson, Jones/Diegnan, Lagana) requires school bus operations in the state to comply with federal regulations concerning safety, noise emissions, insurance, and drug testing, among other areas.
• A4345 (Tully, Swain, Benson, Jones/Diegnan, Holzapfel) requires all permanent and substitute school bus drivers and aides to undergo safety education programs twice every year.
• S2848 (Diegnan, Lagana/Tully, Swain, Benson, Jones) requires holders of a bus driver license to submit a medical report by a certified medical examiner. It also requires bus drivers over age 70 to submit proof of physical fitness every year, and those over age 75 to submit this proof every six months.
• S2850 (Lagana, Diegnan/Swain, Jones, Tully, Benson) requires that when the Department of Education notifies a board of education or a school bus contractor that a school bus driver has had their bus driver license suspended or revoked, the board of education or school bus contractor must verify to DOE that the driver in question no longer operates a bus for them.

Gov. Murphy photo