N.J.S.A. 18A:7F-38 — School district budget increase limited.

18A:7F-38 School district budget increase limited. 3. a. Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law to the contrary, a school district shall not adopt a budget pursuant to sections 5 and 6 of P.L.1996, c.138 (C.18A:7F-5 and 18A:7F-6) with an increase in its adjusted tax levy that exceeds, except as provided in subsection e. of section 4 of P.L.2007, c.62 (C.18A:7F-39), the tax levy growth limitation calculated as follows: the sum of the prebudget year adjusted tax levy and the adjustment for increases in enrollment multiplied by 2.0 percent, and adjustments for an increase in health care costs, increases in amounts for certain normal and accrued liability pension contributions set forth in sections 1 and 2 of P.L.2009, c.19 amending section 24 of P.L.1954, c.84 (C.43:15A-24) and section 15 of P.L.1944, c.255 (C.43:16A-15) for the year set forth in those sections, in the case of an SDA district as defined pursuant to section 3 of P.L.2000, c.72 (C.18A:7G-3), during the 2018-2019 through the 2024-2025 school years, increases to raise a general fund tax levy to an amount that does not exceed its local share, and, in the case of a school district first receiving preschool education aid in the 2025-2026, 2026-2027, or 2027-2028 school years and participating in the pilot program established by the commissioner pursuant to subsection h. of section 12 of P.L.2007, c.260 (C.18A:7F-54), increases to raise a general fund tax levy for the local share of preschool education costs. b. (1) The allowable adjustment for increases in enrollment authorized pursuant to subsection a. of this section shall equal the per pupil prebudget year adjusted tax levy multiplied by EP, where EP equals the sum of: (a) 0.50 for each unit of weighted resident enrollment that constitutes an increase from the prebudget year over 1%, but not more than 2.5%; (b) 0.75 for each unit of weighted resident enrollment that constitutes an increase from the prebudget year over 2.5%, but not more than 4%; and (c) 1.00 for each unit of weighted resident enrollment that constitutes an increase from the prebudget year over 4%. (2) A school district may request approval from the commissioner to calculate EP equal to 1.00 for any increase in weighted resident enrollment if it can demonstrate that the calculation pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection would result in an average class size that exceeds 10% above the facilities efficiency standards established pursuant to P.L.2000, c.72 (C.18A:7G-1 et al.). c. (Deleted by amendment, P.L.2010, c.44) d. (1) The allowable adjustment for increases in health care costs authorized pursuant to subsection a. of this section shall equal that portion of the actual increase in total health care costs for the budget year, less any withdrawals from the current expense emergency reserve account for increases in total health care costs, that exceeds 2.0 percent of the total health care costs in the prebudget year, but that is not in excess of the product of the total health care costs in the prebudget year multiplied by the average percentage increase of the State Health Benefits Program, P.L.1961, c.49 (C.52:14-17.25 et seq.), as annually determined by the Division of Pensions and Benefits in the Department of the Treasury. (2) The allowable adjustment for increases in the amount of normal and accrued liability pension contributions authorized pursuant to subsection a. of this section shall equal that portion of the actual increase in total normal and accrued liability pension contributions for the budget year that exceeds 2.0 percent of the total normal and accrued liability pension contributions in the prebudget year. (3) In the case of an SDA district, as defined pursuant to section 3 of P.L.2000, c.72 (C.18A:7G-3), in which the prebudget year adjusted tax levy is less than the school district's prebudget year local share as calculated pursuant to section 10 of P.L.2007, c.260 (C.18A:7F-52), the allowable adjustment for increases to raise a tax levy that does not exceed the school district's local share shall equal the difference between the prebudget year adjusted tax levy and the prebudget year local share. (4) In the case of a school district first receiving preschool education aid in the 2025-2026, 2026-2027, or 2027-2028 school years and participating in the pilot program established by the commissioner pursuant to subsection h. of section 12 of P.L.2007, c.260 (C.18A:7F-54), the allowable adjustment for increases to raise a general fund tax levy for the local share of preschool education costs shall be equal to the actual increase required to provide preschool education under the pilot program less State aid provided pursuant to subsection h. of section 12 of P.L.2007, c.260 (C.18A:7F-54). A school district first receiving preschool education aid in the 2025-2026 school year and participating in the pilot program established by the commissioner pursuant to subsection h. of section 12 of P.L.2007, c.260 (C.18A:7F-54) may, prior to the delivery of tax bills pursuant to R.S.54:4-64, recertify to the county board of taxation the sum to be raised in the district during the ensuing school year if the change in the amount to be raised is equal to the district's local share of preschool education costs for that school year. e. (Deleted by amendment, P.L.2010, c.44) f. The adjusted tax levy shall be increased or decreased accordingly whenever the responsibility and associated cost of a school district activity is transferred to another school district or governmental entity. L.2007, c.62, s.3; amended 2007, c.260, s.37; 2009, c.19, s.3; 2010, c.44, s.4; 2018, c.67, s.6; 2025, c.100, s.3. 18A:7F-39 Proposal submission required to increase adjusted tax levy, certain circumstances. 4. a. (Deleted by amendment, P.L.2010, c.44) b. (Deleted by amendment, P.L.2010, c.44) c. A school district may submit to the voters at the annual school election, or on such other date as is set by regulation of the commissioner, a proposal or proposals to increase the adjusted tax levy by more than the allowable amount authorized pursuant to section 3 of P.L.2007, c.62 (C.18A:7F-38). The proposal or proposals to increase the adjusted tax levy shall be approved if a majority of people voting shall vote in the affirmative. In the case of a school district with a board of school estimate, the additional adjusted tax levy shall be authorized only if a quorum is present for the vote and a majority of those board members who are present vote in the affirmative to authorize the additional adjusted tax levy. A school district without a board of school estimate may submit to the voters at a special school election authorized pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1995, c.278 (C.19:60-2), a proposal or proposals to increase the adjusted tax levy for the subsequent school budget year by more than the allowable amount authorized pursuant to section 3 of P.L.2007, c.62 (C.18A:7F-38). A proposal submitted at a special election shall comply with the requirements of this subsection and of paragraph (9) of subsection d. of section 5 of P.L.1996, c.138 (C.18A:7F-5). A proposal or proposals for additional funds may only be submitted on a date of a special election once during a school year. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to prohibit the submission to the voters of a question or questions for the approval of a capital project or projects on the same special election date as the submission of a separate proposal or proposals for additional funds. In the case of a school district in which the annual school election has been moved to November pursuant to subsection a. of section 1 of P.L.2011, c.202 (C.19:60-1.1), the school district may submit a separate proposal for additional funds for the budget year, or a separate proposal for additional funds for the subsequent budget year, or separate proposals for additional funds for each of those budget years. In the event that a school district submits a separate proposal for additional funds for the subsequent budget year and the separate proposal is approved, the school district shall not add to its adjusted tax levy for the subsequent budget year any amount authorized pursuant to subsection e. of this section. (1) A proposal or proposals submitted to the voters or the board of school estimate to increase the tax levy pursuant to this subsection shall not include any programs or services necessary for students to achieve the core curriculum content standards. (2) All proposals to increase the tax levy submitted pursuant to this subsection shall include interpretive statements specifically identifying the program purposes for which the proposed funds shall be used and a clear statement on whether approval will affect only the current year or result in a permanent increase in the levy. The proposals shall be submitted and approved pursuant to sections 5 and 6 of P.L.1996, c.138 (C.18A:7F-5 and 18A:7F-6). d. (Deleted by amendment, P.L.2010, c.44) e. A school district that has not been granted approval to exceed the cap pursuant to subsection c. of this section may add to its adjusted tax levy in any one of the next three succeeding budget years the amount of the difference between the maximum allowable amount to be raised by taxation for the current school budget year and the actual amount to be raised by taxation for the current school budget year. L.2007, c.62, s.4; amended 2010, c.44, s.5; 2011, c.202, s.3; 2024, c.60, s.2; 2025, c.234, s.6.

This is the verbatim text of N.J.S.A. 18A:7F-38, retrieved from the New Jersey Legislature's public statute corpus. Statutes are amended periodically — for the most current version, check the external source link above. Kyzer is not a law firm and this page is not legal advice.