New Jersey applies for federal school funds on deadline eve

New Jersey applied for $268 million in federal funds for education jobs and benefits on Wednesday, the eve of the federal deadline, state officials announced Thursday.

The state is all but assured of receiving the aid, which Congress approved last month.

The money is part of $10 billion for education offered to all states and territories. To receive it, a governor or other official had to submit an application and specify whether the money would be distributed according to the state's funding formula or a federal formula, said Sandra Abrevaya, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Education.

The Christie administration elected to go with the state formula.

The $268 million will not reverse the effects of the nearly $820 million in state aid reductions imposed by Gov. Christie this year. But using the state formula will allow the federal money to be distributed among school districts fairly, relative to the cuts, said Frank Belluscio, spokesman for the New Jersey School Boards Association. "This is the better way to go," Belluscio said.

New Jersey will be awarded its money by Sept. 24, according to a federal education official.

The New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) renewed its criticism of the governor, complaining that it took Christie almost a month to submit a three-page application that essentially involved checking a box.

"While he dragged his feet, other states that applied as early as Aug. 13 have already received their funds," NJEA president Barbara Keshishian said in a written statement.

"By failing to act quickly and decisively to get this money to New Jersey, Gov. Christie ensured that our schools would open with fewer people working and larger classes," Keshishian said.

Christie spokesman Michael Drewniak defended the administration's process.

"We consulted with the U.S. Department of Education at length to fully investigate and understand all options for distribution of the funding, and we applied in accordance with DOE requirements," Drewniak said.

While it has been said that New Jersey's share of the money could pay for 3,900 teaching jobs, the grant gives districts broad discretion in spending their federal windfall. The funds can be used to retain, hire, or rehire nearly any school employees, from principals to custodians, according to the Education Department website.

It also can be used to pay for employee benefits and other expenses, such as support services, the website states. That includes worker bonuses, health insurance, pension-fund contributions, reimbursement for child care, and more.

Governors may not tell districts how to use their money, according to the grant guidelines. Districts have until Sept. 30, 2012, to decide how funds will be spent, said Jim Bradshaw, a federal education spokesman.

Some local school superintendents have expressed reluctance to hire or rehire teachers with aid that may not be renewed. The money may also have arrived too late: Some district administrators noted that class schedules and assignments were set weeks ago and programs already were cut or eliminated to preserve teachers' jobs.

Nevertheless, administrators said they looked forward to hearing how much money their schools would receive.

In Collingswood, Superintendent Scott Oswald said he would like to use the funds to offset the cost of an unbudgeted kindergarten teacher the district hired due to a surge in enrollment.

Waterford Township Superintendent Gary Dentino said he leaned toward hiring more instructional personnel for remedial programs.

Robert Goldschmidt, the Riverside superintendent, said his district eagerly awaited details from the state.

"The delay in this process will cause some headaches in terms of using it for jobs, but a two-year [spending] window would help," Goldschmidt said in an e-mail.