Montclair Among School Districts Eligible For $270 Million In State Funds

Gov. Chris Christie announced Wednesday that 177 school districts - including Montclair - are eligible for approximately $270 million in state funds toward the cost of 740 capital maintenance and construction projects.

"Efficient, up-to-date school facilities are a priority of this administration and part of ensuring New Jersey children receive a quality education. These grants will fund critical projects across our state, helping to improve the learning environments for our students and providing necessary support to districts by easing their local property-tax burden," Christie said.

In Montclair, there is a long list of maintenance and construction projects on the table. They include:

1) At Glenfield Middle School: Renovations to the cafeteria and home economics room, as well as new lockers.

2) At Hillside Elementary School: Renovations to the outside stairs and sidewalk.

3) Edgemont Elementary School: Renovations to the kitchen.

4) Montclair High School: Re-roofing of the library and renovations to the exterior of the amphitheatre.

5) Nishuane Elementary School: Masonry repairs.

For a full list of all Montclair projects, go to the DOE Web site at www.nj.gov/education/facilities/projectapplication/rod/aprod.pdf.

"This funding for school improvements will help school districts keep their facilities properly maintained and ease the burden on local property taxpayers of doing so," added Commissioner of Education Bret Schundler.

Including state and local contributions, the 740 eligible projects are estimated to cost approximately $697 million and would generate as many as 6,000 jobs over the duration of construction. The state-funded grants represent at least 40 percent of eligible costs for projects in the Regular Operating Districts (RODs). These grants are contingent on voter or budget approval of the remaining cost to local school districts.

Grants are approved by the Department of Education (DOE) in fixed annual allocations based on a prioritization process that considers critical needs, such as health, safety, special education, renewal of existing buildings and overcrowding. Types of construction include capital maintenance, renovation, expansion and new facilities.

"The Schools Development Authority is proud to support Governor Christie and his administration's continued commitment to the future of New Jersey's schoolchildren," said School Development Authority Chief Executive Officer Marc Larkins. "By providing hundreds of millions of dollars in additional state aid, this administration is further infusing the state's economy with much-needed job support, and we are pleased to serve as a catalyst toward economic recovery."

DOE determines which school projects receive grant funds from the SDA. The authority currently has a portfolio of 1,126 ongoing grant projects in the RODs.