Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 6, March 18, 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.
