The proposed FY2022 New Jersey State budget includes $578 million in additional K-12 school aid and nearly $50 million in additional preschool funding. School districts will be able to use state funds, in conjunction with federal resources, to address COVID-19-related learning loss, develop and provide mental health programs, train educators, and remediate buildings, among other uses.
The allocation includes an additional $25 million for Extraordinary Special Education Aid. This aid helps districts pay for services for students whose needs are deemed “extraordinary;” those who have high-cost programs along with complex needs or low incidence conditions.
The “Extraordinary Costs” provision in New Jersey’s funding law provides supplemental state aid to school districts for each student who needs intensive services. The law provides added state funding for special education costs above $40,000 for a student in an in-district, inclusive education program, and $55,000 for an out-of-district program. Districts may apply for Extraordinary Costs aid when they serve students whose program costs exceed the thresholds, and who are receiving certain high-cost services, such as ESY, nursing, 1:1, multiple therapies, and others. The money can be used for services in any special education setting: an inclusive general education classroom, a self-contained classroom in the district, or an out-of-district program, such as a private school. Funding goes directly to the sending school district and follows the child.
