Saturday, September 11, 2010

Gov. Christie signs bill allowing N.J. residents to send children to public schools in other towns | NJ.com

Gov. Christie signs bill allowing N.J. residents to send children to public schools in other towns | NJ.com

Gov. Christie signs bill allowing N.J. residents to send children to public schools in other towns

Published: Friday, September 10, 2010, 7:51 PM Updated: Saturday, September 11, 2010, 9:50 AM
nj-school-choice-chris-christie.JPGNJ Gov. Chris Christie discusses the school choice bill in this file photo.

TRENTON — Parents dissatisfied with the quality of their local public schools can now send their children to classrooms located well beyond district lines following Gov. Chris Christie’s signing of a school choice bill this evening.

Sponsored by Assembly Democrats Mila Jasey, Joan Voss and Paul Moriarty, the law allows students to attend any other public school in the state whose enrollment is not at capacity. The law will also require home district to provide and pay for students’ transportation to their new schools up to 20 miles away, a significant financial responsibility the bill’s sponsors did not negate.

“No doubt, some students who find themselves stifled at their current school would prosper in a neighboring school district,” said Voss (D-Bergen). “But we also need to