N.J. Stat. § 43:15A-77
Every employee of any school district including school districts in counties of the first class the boundaries of which are coterminous with those of a municipality, or more than one municipality, in which chapter 15 of Title 43 of the Revised Statutes has been adopted, or in which this act is adopted, who is not a member of or eligible to join the Teachers' Pension and Annuity Fund, except an employee required upon employment or appointment to become a member of some other pension fund, shall be entitled to receive the same benefits as employees of such municipality or municipalities are entitled to receive and the school district shall have the same obligations with respect to such employees as the municipality has to its own employees under this act; provided, such employee has been admitted to receive the benefits of the fund established under chapter 15 of Title 43 of the Revised Statutes, or shall make application to be admitted to such benefits within 6 months from January 2, 1955, or within 1 year from the effective date of said chapter 15 of Title 43 of the Revised Statutes in such municipality or municipalities, whichever is later.
Any school district which is comprised of 2 or more municipalities may be deemed a municipality for the purposes of this act if all municipalities comprising such school district have not either adopted the provisions of chapter 15 of Title 43 of the Revised Statutes or complied with the provisions of section 74 of this act. In any such case the board of education of such school district may direct that the question of adopting the retirement system shall be submitted to the qualified voters of the school district at a school election.
N.J.S. § 43:15A-77