A bi-partisan measure approved by the New Jersey General Assembly would ban a growing practice that has school boards offering “merit pay” bonuses to school superintendents who reduce out of district special education placements.
The bill, A-3997, was introduced after some local boards of education began awarding bonuses to superintendents for reducing the number of special education students in out-of-district placements. Advocates charged that the practice creates a direct cash incentive for the superintendent to get involved in placement decisions, a role that he or she does not have.
Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), decisions about a student’s special education placement are to be based on the needs of each child without consideration of cost, and determined by parents and the Child Study Team. The IDEA requires states to ensure that special education funding is “placement neutral” and does not favor one type of placement over another.
