NJ SCR80

Proposes amending Article VIII, Section IV, paragraph 1 of the New Jersey Constitution to grant the Legislature authority to define the components of a "thorough and efficient" public school system through legislation.

Legislature would determine public school funding mechanisms, including the split between State and local contributions, allocation formulas, and revenue sources.

State funding must be "equitable" based on student and community needs using recent data, and cannot result in significant per-pupil funding disparities across different communities.

Explicitly removes any constitutional requirement for minimum or maximum State funding levels and eliminates any obligation to base funding on prior year amounts.

If approved by both legislative chambers, the amendment would be placed on the next general election ballot occurring more than three months after final agreement.