Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 18, September 16, 2024
(a) Within
10 days of the public notification under
N.J.A.C.
6A:31-2.1(d)4, the
renaissance school district and each nonprofit entity selected for a
renaissance school project partnership through the school district's RFP
process shall submit a project application to the Department in the
Commissioner-prescribed format. The renaissance school district and nonprofit
entity shall submit a project application for each proposed renaissance
project.
(b) The project
application shall include, at a minimum:
1.
Documentation of the renaissance school district's amendment to its long-range
facilities plan, pursuant to
N.J.S.A.
18A:7G-4, reflecting plans for the proposed
renaissance school project;
2. The
proposed method by which State grants and Federal funds will be distributed to
the renaissance school project by the renaissance school district, which shall
ensure the renaissance school project(s) receives no less than the school
district's average per pupil allotment for all eligible students if the school
is qualified to receive State grants and/or Federal funds;
3. A description of the process employed by
the renaissance school district to find and partner with the chosen nonprofit
entity to create a renaissance school project. The description shall be
sufficient to show the process employed by the renaissance school district was
open, fair, and subject to public input and comment. The description shall
include, at a minimum:
i. The RFP(s) issued
by the renaissance school district;
ii. The number of responses received;
and
iii. The process and criteria
employed by the renaissance school district to select the chosen nonprofit
entity among the respondents;
4. In the case of a school district under
full or partial State intervention with an advisory board of education, the
application shall contain evidence that the State district superintendent or
superintendent, as applicable, convened at least three public meetings to
discuss the merits of the renaissance school project. The evidence shall
include, at a minimum, public notice(s) used to advertise the meetings,
agendas, presentation materials used at the meetings, and written public
comments received during the meetings. In the case of State-intervention school
districts, the application shall contain a resolution from the advisory board
of education reflecting the board's approval or disapproval of the renaissance
school project. While a successful application does not require approval from
the advisory board of education, the Commissioner shall give due consideration
when considering the application to any disapproval from the advisory
board;
5. The name of the
renaissance school project; the renaissance school project's educational goals;
the curriculum to be offered, including a description of how the curriculum
aligns to the New Jersey Student Learning Standards; and the methods of
assessing whether students are meeting the proffered educational
goals;
6. Assurances the
renaissance school project will participate in all required Statewide
assessments;
7. Any testing and
academic performance standard(s) to be mandated by the renaissance school
project beyond those required by State law and regulation;
8. The admission policy and criteria for
evaluating the admission of students to the renaissance school project, which
shall comply with
N.J.S.A.
18A:36C-8;
9. The age or grade range of students to be
enrolled in the renaissance school project;
10. The total number of students to be
enrolled in each grade level of the renaissance school project;
11. The renaissance school project calendar
and school-day schedule;
12. The
financial plan for the renaissance school project and provisions that will be
made for auditing, pursuant to
N.J.S.A.
18A:23-1;
13. A budget covering projected revenue
sources and planned expenditures for the first year of operation. The budget
shall include all anticipated start-up costs and revenues from the renaissance
school project's approval date through the beginning of the fiscal year. The
budget shall clearly identify funds intended to be raised through future
fundraising efforts; the expected return on such efforts shall be supported
with documentation of the nonprofit entities' past fundraising efforts. The
estimated cost and anticipated source of funding for facilities shall also be
included in the budget summary;
14.
A description of, and address for, the initial school facility in which the
renaissance school project will be located, and affirmation that any other
school facility(ies) in which the renaissance school project will be located
will be in the required urban campus area. For any school facility other than
the initial school facility included in the application, the nonprofit entity
shall notify the Commissioner of the facility's location at least one year
prior to its opening;
15.
Assurances the proposed renaissance school project will meet school facility
rules pertaining to student health and safety, pursuant to
N.J.S.A.
18A:36C-4.b(11);
16. Documentation of a funding plan to
acquire necessary lands and to construct a renaissance school project thereon,
including the terms of any financing secured for such purpose;
17. Identification of the attendance area of
each renaissance school facility in the renaissance school project and an
indication of which facility(ies) in the renaissance school project will not be
located on land owned by the New Jersey Schools Development Authority or the
renaissance school district; and
18. Other information as required from a
specific applicant by the Commissioner.
(c) Following the initial review of the
application pursuant to (a) or (b) above, the Department may request subsequent
information from the renaissance school district or the nonprofit entity as
addenda to the application.
(d)
Following review of the application and addenda, the Commissioner will make a
decision regarding the application. The Commissioner will notify the nonprofit
entity and school district of the decision, which may be appealed pursuant to
N.J.S.A.
18A:6-9.1.
(e) Within 60 business days of the
Commissioner's approval of the renaissance school district and nonprofit
entity's application, the school district and nonprofit entity shall submit a
preliminary agreement that shall become, upon Commissioner review, the contract
required pursuant to
N.J.S.A.
18A:36C-6. Upon written request to the
Commissioner, the 60-business-day deadline may be extended for reasonable cause
at the Commissioner's discretion. The preliminary agreement shall contain, at a
minimum:
1. A clause prohibiting a renaissance
school district from terminating the contract without the Commissioner's prior
approval;
2. A detailed description
of the lottery process for student enrollment consistent with N.J.A.C.
6A:31-4;
3. A detailed description
of the renaissance school district's process for informing parents or guardians
of their right to opt out of a renaissance school if they decide not to enroll
the student in the renaissance school. This also shall include instructions on
how students can enroll in another school in the renaissance school district if
their parents or guardians choose;
4. A district contingency plan stipulating
specifically the date that will trigger the contingency plan;
5. A clause stating "unless otherwise
provided in
N.J.S.A. 18A:36C-1 et
seq., a renaissance school project shall be governed by all laws and rules
applicable to charter schools";
6.
A statement of incorporation of all terms of the approved
application;
7. A clause requiring
any amendment to the contract, including any contingency plan(s), be approved
by the Commissioner;
8. Provisions
addressing the sharing of student data between the renaissance school project
and the renaissance school district;
9. A clause outlining payment arrangements
for student out-of-district placements between the renaissance school project
and the renaissance school district; and
10. Any additional clause(s) deemed necessary
by the Commissioner for a specific preliminary agreement.
(f) In years subsequent to the application's
initial approval, the renaissance school district and nonprofit entity may seek
approval for an amendment of the approved application. A renaissance school
district and nonprofit entity shall submit to the Commissioner updates to (b)5
through 18 above and any proposed revision to the contract detailing the
modifications from the original contract.
(g) The Commissioner will make a decision
approving or denying the application and/or proposed amendments following the
review. The Commissioner will notify the nonprofit entity and renaissance
school district of the decision, which may be appealed pursuant to
N.J.S.A.
18A:6-9.1.
(h) The renaissance school project
application submitted pursuant to (b)5 through 18 above shall be considered the
organizational document for the purposes of
N.J.S.A.
18A:36C-6.b. Any change(s) to the information
identified in (b)5 through 18 above that have been approved pursuant to (f)
above shall be deemed amendments to the organizational document.
(i) Following the Commissioner's approval of
the agreement, the renaissance school district and nonprofit entity shall enter
into a contract for a term of 10 years.
