The position of Executive County Superintendent has been amended to include:
- Visit and examine from time to time all of the schools under his general supervision
and exercise general supervision over them in accordance with the rules prescribed
from time to time by the State board; - Keep informed as to the management, methods of instruction and discipline and the
courses of study and textbooks in use, the condition of the school libraries, and the
condition of the real and personal property, particularly in respect to the construction,
heating, ventilation and lighting of school buildings, in the local districts under his
general supervision, and make recommendations in connection therewith; - Advise with and counsel the boards of education of the local districts under his
general supervision and of any other district of the county when so requested, in
relation to the performance of their duties; - Promote administrative and operational efficiencies and cost savings within the school
districts in the county while ensuring that the districts provide a thorough and efficient
system of education; - Based on standards adopted by the commissioner, recommend to the commissioner,
who is hereby granted the authority to effectuate those recommendations, that certain
school districts be required to enter arrangements with one or more other school
districts or educational services commissions for the consolidation of the districts
administrative services; - Recommend to the commissioner the elimination of laws the executive county
superintendent determines to be unnecessary State education mandates, other than the
categories of laws set forth in section 3 of P.L.1996, c.24(C.52:13H-3); - Have the authority to eliminate districts located in the county that are not operating
schools on the effective date of Article 3 of this bill, in accordance with a plan
submitted to the commissioner no later than one year following the effective date of
Article 3 of this bill. - No later than three years following the effective date of Article 3 of this bill,
recommend to the commissioner a school district consolidation plan to eliminate all
districts, other than county-based districts and other than preschool or kindergarten
through grade 12 districts in the county, through the establishment or enlargement of
regional school districts. - Promote coordination and regionalization of pupil transportation services through
means such as reviewing bus routes and schedules of school districts and nonpublic
schools within the county; - Review and approve, according to standards adopted by the commissioner, all
employment contracts for superintendents of schools, assistant superintendents of
schools, and school business administrators in school districts within the county, prior
to the execution of those contracts; - Request the commissioner to order a forensic audit and to select an auditor for any
school district in the county upon the determination by the executive county
superintendent, according to standards adopted by the commissioner, that the
accounting practices in the district necessitate such an audit; - Review all school budgets of the school districts within the county, and may, pursuant
to section 5 of P.L.1996, c.138 (C.18A:7F-5), disapprove a portion of a school
districts proposed budget if he determines that the district has not implemented all
potential efficiencies in the administrative operations of the district or if he determines
that the budge includes excessive non-instructional expenses. - Coordinate with the Department of Education to maintain a real time Statewide and
district-wide database that tracks the types and capacity of special education programs
being implemented by each district and the number of students enrolled in each
program to identify program availability and needs; - Coordinate with the Department of Education to maintain a Statewide and district-wide
list of all special education students served in out-of-district programs and a list of all
public and private entities approved to receive special education students that includes
pertinent information such as audit results and tuition charges; - Serve as a referral source for districts that do not have appropriate in-district programs
for special education students and provide those districts with information on
placement options in other school districts; - Conduct regional planning and identification of program needs for the development of
in-district special education programs; - Serve as a liaison to facilitate shared special education services within the county
including, but not limited to direct services, personnel development, and technical
assistance; - Work with districts to develop in-district special education programs and services
including providing training in inclusive education, positive behavior supports,
transition to adult life, and parent-professional collaboration; - Provide assistance to districts in budgetary planning for resource realignment and reallocation to direct special education resources into the classroom;
- Report on a regular basis to the commissioner on progress in achieving the goal of
increasing the number of special education students educated in appropriate programs
with non-disable students;