New Jersey Commissioner of Education Approves Overnight Travel to 2008 Summer Conferences

No Waiver  for School Employees is Necessary.

    The Travel Restrictions that were part of A5, codifed as NJSA 18A:11-12, together with the Office of Management and Budget Circulars (08-13 OMB and 06-14-OMB) have caused a great deal of confusion for school districts, their employees and for educational organizations alike.

        On March 17, 2008, the Commissioner of Education provided some clarity by releasing a memorandum related to the travel regulations.  In that memorandum the Commissioner states:

" . . .  school board members and school district employees may attend in-state conferences and receive reimbursement for lodging and meal costs if a contract with the conference sponsor was executed as of the date of this memo (March 17, 2008), for a conference that will take place on or before September 1, 2008."  In addition, the Commissioner noted that overnight travel for in-state conferences is permitted, and may exceed the federal per diem rates "if the hotel is the site of the convention or conference and the going rate of the hotel is in excess of federal per diem rates."

This 2008 Summer Conference, which will take place in July, 2008, has been in planning for many months, and the contract with the Sheraton Atlantic City Convention Center Hotel was executed well in advance of the March memorandum date.

Therefore, to sum up: The News is good.  It is clear that all attendees at the 2008 Summer Conference in Atlantic City may be reimbursed by their Boards of Education, so long as the boards approve their attendance.