NJ Civil Service Navigator

N.J.A.C. 4A:6-1.24 School volunteer leave

N.J.A.C. 4A:6-1.24, School volunteer leave. State employees in the career, senior executive or unclassified service shall be granted leave with pay, up to a maximum of 20 hours per calendar year, to v Full text with 1 recorded amendment.

Leaves, Hours of Work, and Employee Development · Leaves of Absence

Current through New Jersey Register, Vol. 58 No. 14, July 20, 2026. Reviewed as of July 26, 2026.

This is an annotated mirror, not the official publication. Verify against the Civil Service Commission before relying on it.

In plain language

The volunteering is paid; getting there is not. State employees in the career, senior executive or unclassified service are granted up to 20 hours of paid leave a calendar year to volunteer in an academically beneficial school activity, and paid leave under the section is expressly not granted for time spent travelling to and from the school, though vacation leave, administrative leave and leave without pay may be used for that. What qualifies is given by example: helping a teacher in the classroom, reading to children, tutoring, homework help, mentoring, guest speaking, advising on careers, or assisting with extracurricular or coaching activities. What does not qualify is listed too: parent teacher conferences, back-to-school nights, field trips and class performances. The school may be any New Jersey public, private or parochial school through grade 12, and the employee need not be a parent of a child there. In local service the program is optional, and the appointing authority decides whether to establish one.

Written by the NJ Civil Service Navigator editorial team from the text of N.J.A.C. 4A:6-1.24. It is a description of the rule, not the rule itself, and not legal advice.

(a) State employees in the career, senior executive or unclassified service shall be granted leave with pay, up to a maximum of 20 hours per calendar year, to volunteer in an academically beneficial school activity. #

1. In local service, an appointing authority may establish a school volunteer leave program. #

(b) An academically beneficial school activity, for purposes of this section, includes, but is not limited to, helping a teacher in the classroom, as well as the following activities held at the schools: reading to children; tutoring; assisting students with homework; mentoring; serving as a guest speaker; advising students on careers; or assisting with extra curricular or coaching activities. #

1. School volunteer leave is not intended to be used for such activities as parent teacher conferences back-to-school nights, field trips or attending class performances. #

2. Activities may take place at any New Jersey public, private or parochial school, through grade 12. #

3. The volunteer program shall be approved by the local board of education or, in the case of a private or parochial school, the appropriate administrative authority for that school. #

4. The State employee need not be a parent of a child in the school in which the volunteer activity is being performed. However, employee participation in the volunteer program shall be subject to approval by the school principal or designee. #

(c) State appointing authorities shall establish procedures for school volunteer leave, subject to the following: #

1. Leave shall be requested in advance, and shall be granted consistent with the operational needs of the appointing authority. #

2. Employee participation shall be verified in writing by the school principal or designee. #

3. Paid leave under this section shall not be granted for time spent travelling to and from the school. Vacation leave, administrative leave, and leave without pay may be used in conjunction with school volunteer leave for travelling time. #

Amendment history

Rule numbers, effective dates and New Jersey Register citations as published. 1 recorded change.

  1. New ruleR.2000 d.434

Elsewhere in Leaves of Absence