TRENTON – The Senate Budget Committee will hold a hearing Thursday regarding the proposed fiscal year 2013 Education Department budget.
The proposed $11.8 billion spending plan for education is about $1.125 billion higher than the revised fiscal 2012 Education Department budget of $10.68 billion.
The department budget calls for a $213 million increase in state aid to most school districts and $3 million for non-public school technology grants.
It also calls for $2.38 billion in direct aid payments that go to support pensions and health insurance of teachers.
Other initiatives include:
*$1.7 million for end-of-course exams from high schools;
*$1.7 million for the establishment of Regional Achievement Centers, whose goal will be to improve student performance at underachieving school districts.
*$650,000 for the Emergency Fund Account.
*$50,000 for a school athletics steroid testing program.
*$158,000 to hire two people to help run the Anti-Bullying Program.
It also calls for an adjustment in determining school attendance, and how much funding a district receives based on that number.
The hearing, headed by committee Chairman Paul Sarlo, D-36) of Wood-Ridge, will take place in Room 4 of the Statehouse Annex, with a scheduled start time of 10 a.m.