Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 18, September 16, 2024
(a) For purposes of
executive county superintendent budget reviews, pursuant to
N.J.A.C.
6A:23A-9.1 through 9.5, the standards and
requirements set forth in this section shall apply.
(b) In determining whether a school district
has implemented all potential administrative efficiencies and/or eliminated all
excessive non-instructional costs, the executive county superintendent shall
consider the efficiency standards and Taxpayers' Guide to Education Spending
indicators in (c) below as guidelines and applied based on school
district-specific circumstances, including, but not limited to, the school
district's spending relative to its adequacy budget and the school district's
results on NJQSAC and other measures of efficiency and effectiveness. The
executive county superintendent shall also consider the impact on the stability
of school district operations given the need for long-term planning and
budgeting to meet the standards and indicators, school district-specific cost
factors beyond the school district's control and any phase-in period needed to
implement any efficiency(ies) the executive county superintendent deems
feasible based on the standards and indicators in (c) below.
(c) Efficient administrative and
non-instructional costs shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
1. Resources and costs that are equal to or
less than the "efficiency standards" established pursuant to
18A:7F-46 and defined in
6A:23A-1.2;
2. Indicators from the Taxpayers' Guide to
Education Spending for school districts' operating type and enrollment range
indexed to the budget year by the applicable growth in the CPI as follows:
i. Administrative cost per pupil equal to or
less than the State median;
ii.
Support services cost per pupil equal to or less than the State
median;
iii. Operation and
maintenance of plant cost per pupil equal to or less than the State
median;
iv. A ratio of students to
administrative personnel equal to or more than the State average;
v. A ratio of faculty to administrative
personnel equal to or more than the State average; and
vi. A ratio of students to educational
support personnel equal to or more than the State average;
3. Custodians and janitors on a ratio of one
for every 17,500 square feet of building space calculated on a districtwide
basis;
4. A transportation
efficiency rating equal to or more than 120 percent;
5. Overtime pay for any given function of 10
percent or less of regular wages for that function;
6. School district participation in the SHBP
or SEHBP that permits employees with other health care coverage to waive health
care coverage and may pay consideration pursuant to
N.J.S.A.
52:14-17.31a;
7. School districts with two or more
buildings or buildings configured by two or more grade spans (for example,
kindergarten through five, six through eight, or nine through 12) that
established a tiered system of pupil transportation or demonstrate that doing
so would not result in savings or would be more costly. Any school district
that does not have a tiered system of student transportation and cannot
demonstrate that such a system would not result in savings or would be more
costly shall submit to the executive county superintendent a plan to establish
a tiered system of pupil transportation;
8. Vacant positions budgeted at no more than
step one of the salary guide unless justification for the additional amount has
been approved by the Department;
9.
Aides not mandated by law or required by an IEP, only when supported by
independent research-based evidence that demonstrates the use of aides is an
effective and efficient way of addressing the needs of the particular student
population served;
10. The food
service fund is self-sufficient and does not require a contribution from the
general fund budget;
11. The school
district solicits competitive proposals with fee quotes or uses a comparable
process to ensure the school district receives the highest quality services at
a fair and competitive price prior to the award of contracts for professional
services;
12. Textbook purchases
meet one of the following conditions:
i. The
purchase is in accordance with a textbook replacement plan;
ii. Textbooks have been identified as stolen
or destroyed;
iii. A change in
curriculum or new edition requires a new textbook; or
iv. The current supply of a textbook
edition(s) is not adequate due to enrollment increases;
13. Library books, magazine subscriptions,
video tapes, and DVDs are for educational purposes; and
14. Public relations services are
incorporated into the duties of the superintendent, SBA, and/or other staff
position(s) and are not provided by a dedicated public relations staff position
or contracted service provider. Public relations functions as defined in (c)14i
and ii below should not comprise more than 50 percent of the duties of any one
staff position.
i. For the purpose of this
paragraph, public relations services include activities directly relating to
promotional efforts that advance a particular position and/or communicate
information to the news media and school district community at large through
means such as press releases, press conferences, newsletters, flyers, mass
community mailings and emails, television and radio broadcasting, and
school-related community events.
ii. Public relations activities do not
include activities such as crisis communications, website maintenance, data
collection and dissemination, school operations, and development of the school
district calendar or handbook.
(d) The school district shall either document
it has taken steps to improve administrative efficiency and reduce
non-instructional costs through shared service arrangements or demonstrate that
doing so would not result in savings or would be more costly.
