The New Jersey State Assembly on Thursday passed Assemblyman Avi Schnall’s bill, A4854, that corrects a long-standing flaw in the way support services are funded for nonpublic school students — all without costing taxpayers a single additional dollar.
“For years, money was set aside to help children in nonpublic schools receive extra support in reading and math,” said Assemblyman Schnall. “But because of outdated rules and bureaucratic red tape, millions of those dollars were never used and ended up going back to the state. That’s just wrong — and this bill fixes it.”
Under current law, school districts are given funds in advance, based on outdated projections, to provide services such as tutoring and remedial instruction for students in nonpublic schools. In many cases, the funds provided are either too little to hire a qualified teacher or more students decline the services than anticipated. As a result, the money goes unused — despite ongoing student need — and is returned to the state. In 2024 alone, nearly $7.5 million in funding meant for nonpublic school students went unspent.
Assemblyman Schnall’s legislation changes the way those funds are distributed, ensuring that districts are reimbursed for services actually delivered based on current enrollment and usage. This shift allows all money already budgeted for nonpublic school students to go directly toward helping those students, rather than being lost to inefficiency.
Assemblyman Schnall expressed his deep appreciation to Rabbi Shlomo Schorr of Agudath Israel, whose tireless advocacy in Trenton played a crucial and integral role in the effort to get this legislation passed. “Rabbi Schorr’s dedication and behind-the-scenes work were essential in building support for this bill and ensuring that the voices of nonpublic school families were heard loud and clear,” the assemblyman said.
The bill does not alter the total amount of funding, does not change existing rules or regulations, and does not increase taxpayer spending. It simply ensures smarter, more effective use of existing resources.
“Nonpublic school children deserve the same opportunity to succeed as every other student in New Jersey,” Schnall said. “This bill makes that possible — without raising taxes or creating new expenses.”
The bill, co-sponsored by Assemblyman Gary Schaer, was first approved by the Assembly Education Committee in October. With today’s full Assembly passage, it now heads to the Senate for further consideration.
He needs to be unlocking the tens of millions the state has been shortchanging our school district