35 SJ school districts eligible for state grants

Thirty-five South Jersey school districts are eligible for state funding aimed at construction and maintenance projects, state education officials announced Wednesday.

The tri-county districts are among 183 statewide that will be eligible for about $286 million in state funds for 765 projects. That includes six vocational districts, including Camden County Technical Schools and Burlington County Institute of Technology.

The funding program had been put on hold for examination by the Christie administration, according to schools officials. The release of money for the new projects was announced in May, when some of those eligible were announced. The dollars for those projects, and those announced Wednesday, will be released provided they are approved by voters.

The state grants can cover 40 percent or more of the projects' costs and, according to education spokesmen, could generate as many as 6,000 jobs.

"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 a written statement.

New Jersey School Boards Association spokesman Frank Belluscio said the grants "will help many districts move forward with needed facility projects and will be instrumental in gaining necessary voter approval of the construction plans."

Local projects range from security systems in Burlington Township and Haddonfield schools to new classrooms in East Greenwich and Kingsway Regional.