NJ S2073

Establishes a matching grant program where the Commissioner of Education provides grants equal to 50% of eligible federal American Rescue Plan ESSER funds that school districts, charter schools, and renaissance school projects dedicate to increasing instructional time and accelerating student learning

School districts and schools are only eligible if their percentage of students in "did not yet meet expectations" or "partially met expectations" categories in English language arts or mathematics increased compared to the 2018-2019 school year

Grants must be used for interventions addressing COVID-19 pandemic learning loss, including before/after-school programs, summer learning academies, tutoring programs, hiring additional staff, work-based learning, and dual enrollment programs

Caps total program funding at $200 million, to be funded from state allocations under the federal American Rescue Plan Act

Requires the Commissioner to submit annual reports to the Governor and Legislature by July 30 evaluating the effectiveness of the grant program in increasing student achievement and reducing learning loss