The New Jersey State Board of Education will vote during its meeting on Wednesday, March 6th to accept the recommendation of the New Jersey Department of Education to readopt with no substantive changes NJAC 6A:23A, Subchapter 18. This is the portion of administrative code that defines and regulates the ways in which the Department sets tuition rates for state-approved private special education schools, including ASAH’s 135 member schools.

ASAH schools are an important part of the public special education system, serving roughly 10,000 students with complex disabilities in New Jersey. Students are public school students and remain the responsibility of the local public school.

ASAH appreciate the active and ongoing engagement of the State Board of Education on this critical issue, and their commitment to listen to and consider the concerns we have raised. We are grateful that leadership in the New Jersey Department of Education has made this recommendation.

Throughout this process, we partnered with Autism New Jersey and the Council of Private Schools for Children with Special Needs, and have had the strong support of our parent advocates, as well as our colleagues at the Advocates for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ), The Alliance for the Betterment of Citizens with Disabilities (ABCD), The Arc of the New Jersey, The New Jersey Association for Behavior Analysis (NJABA), and other organizations who recognize the importance of adequate funding for schools serving New Jersey most vulnerable and complex students with disabilities.

We are incredibly grateful to the many legislative leaders who engaged on this critical issue, including Senate Majority Leader Ruiz, Senate Republican Leader Bucco, Assembly Majority Leader Greenwald, Senators Cryan, Gopal, O’Scanlon, and Singleton, and Assemblywomen Dunn and Murphy. We deeply appreciate the many meetings that Paul Aronshon, the Ombudsman for Individuals with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities and Their Families, participated in related to this issue.

Through this action, the State Board of Education has demonstrated their commitment to supporting students with complex needs, and the value of ASAH schools’ collaborative partnerships with local school districts as a vital safety net in New Jersey’s special education system.