New Jersey Administrative Code › Title 6A - EDUCATION › Chapter 31 - RENAISSANCE SCHOOLS › Subchapter 3 - APPLICATIONS TO THE COMMISSIONER; APPROVAL OF CONTRACTS › Section 6A:31-3.1 - Applications and proposed agreements to the Commissioner for each proposal accepted by the renaissance school district

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 14, July 15, 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.