transportation
Nonpublic school aid could help pay for rides
In New Jersey, leftover money from nursing and security aid would be steered to transportation for nonpublic school students. The bill advanced out of committee with no recorded no votes.
New Jersey lawmakers are weighing a simple shift with practical stakes: money set aside for some nonpublic school services would not sit unused. If a district spends less than expected on nursing or security aid, the leftover dollars would support transportation instead.
- Unspent nonpublic-school aid would be redirected to transportation.
- The money comes from nursing and security service accounts.
- The goal is to keep students getting to class when other service lines run under budget.
- Key vote records show no recorded no votes.
- In New Jersey, a family’s school-day logistics can hinge on whether there is a bus seat, a van route or some other ride that gets a child to class on time
In New Jersey, a family’s school-day logistics can hinge on whether there is a bus seat, a van route or some other ride that gets a child to class on time. This proposal would make sure money already set aside for nonpublic-school nursing services and security services does not sit idle if it goes unspent. Instead, it would be used to support nonpublic-school transportation services.
The change is aimed at aid that is already earmarked for two specific services. If a district does not use the full amount, the leftover dollars would stay inside the nonpublic-school aid system and help cover the cost of getting students to school.
A spare-dollar safety net
The bill applies to state aid for nonpublic-school nursing services and nonpublic-school security services. Under the substitute, any unexpended aid from those categories would be redirected to transportation costs for nonpublic-school students.
That matters because transportation is often the practical barrier, not a theoretical one. A school can have its other needs covered and still leave a family scrambling for a reliable way to get a child to class each morning.
Keeping aid tied to the school day
The measure is sponsored by Assembly Members Avi Schnall, Verlina Reynolds-Jackson and Gary Schaer. Their version was adopted as an Assembly committee substitute on June 15, 2026.
Available key vote records show it advanced without recorded no votes.