NJ S925

Commissioner of Education must submit a report to the Legislature within 90 days on the designation of SDA (Schools Development Authority) districts, which are poorer urban districts that receive 100% of State share for school construction costs.

Report must include criteria used to determine socioeconomic status of school districts, current socioeconomic status of all districts, and current social, economic, physical, and fiscal conditions of each of the 31 SDA districts.

Commissioner must compare conditions when each SDA district was originally designated to current status and determine whether each district should maintain its SDA classification.

Report must discuss whether additional school districts should receive SDA designation and provide legislative recommendations for revising the current SDA district list.

The Department of Education has not updated District Factor Groups since 2004 or analyzed whether wealthier districts should be removed in favor of needier ones; Hoboken City is cited as an example of a municipality whose socioeconomic status has dramatically improved since its 1990 classification.