New Jersey Statutes 18A:7F-7. Undesignated general fund balances, use, limits
Terms Used In New Jersey Statutes 18A:7F-7
- Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
- Board: means the board of education. See New Jersey Statutes 18A:1-1
- Commissioner: means the Commissioner of Education. See New Jersey Statutes 18A:1-1
- District: means a school district. See New Jersey Statutes 18A:1-1
- State: extends to and includes any State, territory or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia and the Canal Zone. See New Jersey Statutes 1:1-2
In the 2005-2006 school year and thereafter, an undesignated general fund balance in excess of 2% of the budgeted general fund for the prebudget year or $250,000, whichever is greater, shall be appropriated by a school district for the purpose of the budget prepared pursuant to section 5 of this act.
The amount of any funds made available for appropriation as a result of the reduction in the percentage of authorized undesignated general fund balance pursuant to P.L.2004, c.73 shall be used to reduce the general fund tax levy required for the budget year.
In the case of a county vocational school district, if the amount of the budgeted general fund for the prebudget year is $100 million or less, an undesignated general fund balance in excess of 6% of that amount or $250,000, whichever is greater, shall be appropriated by the county vocational school district for the purpose of the budget prepared pursuant to section 5 of P.L.1996, c.138 (C. 18A:7F-5). If the amount of the budgeted general fund for the prebudget year exceeds $100 million, an undesignated general fund balance in excess of 6% of the first $100 million and in excess of 3% of the amount which exceeds $100 million shall be appropriated by a county vocational school district for the purpose of the budget prepared pursuant to section 5 of P.L.1996, c.138 (C. 18A:7F-5).
b. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection a. of this section, the district may, with the approval of the commissioner, appropriate any anticipated excess undesignated general fund balance to the capital reserve account established pursuant to N.J.S. 18A:21-3 or section 57 of P.L.2000, c.72 (C. 18A:7G-31) for that purpose.
c. If it is determined that the undesignated general fund balances at June 30 of any school year exceed those permitted under subsection a. of this section, the excess undesignated general fund balances shall be reserved and designated in the subsequent year’s budget submitted to the commissioner pursuant to subsection c. of section 5 of this act.
d. The commissioner may withhold State aid in an amount not to exceed the excess undesignated general fund balances for failure to comply with subsection c. of this section.
e. Proceeds from the sale and lease-back of textbooks and non-consumable instructional materials shall not be included in the calculation of excess undesignated general fund balance during the budget year in which they are realized.
L.1996, c.138, s.7; amended 1998, c.55, s.3; 2004, c.73, s.3; 2007, c.62, s.8.