As a mother and a legislator, I know firsthand that quality education is invaluable. It is the greatest gift we give our children and the most important investment we make in the future of our community. New Jersey has a legal obligation to provide each student with a thorough and efficient education. Beyond that, though, we also have a moral mandate to give every child the chance to live up to his or her potential.

The duty to help our children succeed is even more profound for students living and learning with special needs. As the Chair of the Assembly Human Services Committee, I have seen too many families struggle to provide for their special needs children. For some, the key to success is the right services. For others, it is in-home supports. Yet, for almost all families, the most fundamental issue is where their children will go to school. Where will their children have the best opportunity to grow and thrive?

There is no single answer, no one-size-fits-all approach. Each special needs child requires an individualized education plan and access to the most appropriate educational setting.

Currently however, there are legal and financial limits on the options available to students and their families. School districts are prohibited from sending a student to a sectarian special education school even if the parents, district and school agree that it is the best fit.

The practical implication of this restriction is that while a special needs sectarian school may be the most appropriate setting for a student, it is only available to families who can afford the very expensive tuition, and often only with community funded tuition assistance.

We can and must do better for special needs students and their families. To that end, I worked with the Orthodox Union to craft and introduce A2869, which would allow school districts to place a student in an accredited special education sectarian school and provide tuition assistance for non-religious activity, such as services and secular instruction.

Recently, at the Orthodox Union’s annual legislative advocacy breakfast, I shared my belief that all students should have an opportunity to learn in an educational environment that is most conducive to their success. I also noted that this bill has met significant resistance in Trenton. Despite that, I am focused on getting this legislation passed and signed into law by the end of the legislative session in January. It already successfully passed the Assembly Education Committee.

While the issue of tuition assistance has proved to be complex, helping special needs children is simple: We need to do more. I am certainly committed to that cause.

By Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle, 37th District: (Alpine, Bogota, Cresskill, Englewood, Englewood Cliffs, Fort Lee, Hackensack, Leonia, Northvale, Palisades Park, Rockleigh, Teaneck and Tenafly.)