"Securing Our Children's Future Bond Act"; authorizes issuance of $500,000,000 in general obligation bonds to finance certain school, school district, and county college capital projects; appropriates $5,000.****
In the lastThis bill, entitled the "Career and Technical Education Bond Act," authorizes the issuance of $500,000,000 in State general obligation bonds. Proceeds from the bonds will be used to provide grants to county vocational school districts and county colleges to construct and equip education facilities in order to expand existing or offer new career and technical education programs. The $500,000,000 in bond proceeds will be allocated in the following manner: (1) $450,000,000 for county vocational school districts; and (2) $50,000,000 for county colleges. The Commissioner of Education, in consultation with the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development, in the case of county vocational school district grants, and Secretary of Higher Education, in consultation with the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development, in the case of county college grants, will establish procedures for the review and approval of, and eligibility criteria for, grants. The grant applicant must demonstrate how the proposed project will: increase the capacity of the county vocational school district or the county college to offer career and technical education programs; prepare students for high demand, technically skilled careers, and align with labor market demands or economic development goals. The county vocational school district or county college must demonstrate the process by which it engaged employers to identify workforce needs. Projects that meet any of the following criteria will receive priority for grant funding: (1) the county vocational school district or the county college offers a stackable credentials program. Such a program supports industry-recognized, short term credentials and certificates that count toward a higher-level certificate or degree so that individuals may advance in employment and training over the course of their careers; (2) in the case of a county vocational school district grant, the district has entered into a partnership with a county college for the provision of career and technical education programs, and in the case of a county college grant, the county college has entered into a partnership with a county vocational school district for the provision of career and technical education programs; or (3) the county vocational school district or the county college has entered into a partnership with an employer to provide technical education and training for current or potential employees. The commissioner or the secretary, as applicable, will prepare and submit to the presiding officers of each House of the Legislature on a date when both Houses are in session, a copy of the list of eligible projects and the amount of the grant for each project. The list will be deemed approved in its entirely unless the Legislature adopts a concurrent resolution stating that the Legislature is not in agreement with the list within 60 days following its transmittal. The bill provides that the bond act is to be submitted to the people for approval at the general election to be held at least 70 days after enactment and appropriates $5,000 to the Department of State for expenses in connection with the publication of the public question. Career and technical education programs are programs that provide students the coherent and rigorous content aligned with challenging academic standards and relevant technical knowledge and skills needed to prepare for further education and careers in current or emerging professions. A career and technical education program provides technical skill proficiency, an industry-recognized credential, a certificate, or an associate degree. Surveys indicate that employers cannot find individuals with the skills they need to fill today's jobs, especially jobs in fields like information technology, health care, logistics and distribution, advanced manufacturing, and aviation technology. High quality career and technical education (CTE) programs address the gap between skills and employment opportunities by creating an educational environment that combines core academics with real-world experience. While New Jersey's county vocational school districts and county colleges have established and advanced career and technical education programs, the demand for such programs far outweighs their availability. This points to a critical need for the construction of new facilities and the expansion and renovation of existing facilities to enable county vocational school districts and county colleges to significantly increase their efforts through the expansion of career and technical education programs to meet the demands of labor and industry for a trained workforce. The economic viability and competitiveness of the State are directly linked to the skills of its current and future workforce.
This bill, entitled the "Securing Our Children's Future Bond Act", authorizes the issuance of $500,000,000 in State general obligation bonds. Proceeds from the bonds will be used to provide grants to county vocational school districts ($350,000,000) and county colleges ($50,000,000) to construct and equip facilities to expand career and technical education programs. The bill also provides grants for school security projects ($450,000,000) and school district water infrastructure improvements ($100,000,000). The bill establishes procedures for reviewing and approving the grants, including priority criteria for projects that align with workforce needs or involve partnerships. The bond act must be submitted to voters for approval at the next general election.