are discussed in this blog entry. We have all heard many different ideas pertaining to the stimulus money that schools in New Jersey were given as part of the recent American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. I have included a letter that we put together so that our entire community could understand the financial realities of the stimulus money and the ramifications of this money. The letter is below:
Dear Oxford Residents:
On February 17, 2009, President Obama signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), which authorizes the expenditure of billions of dollars to revive the nation’s economy. ARRA could possibly be the greatest single infusion of federal dollars into education since Congress passed the Elementary and Secondary Education Act in 1965 during Lyndon Johnson’s presidency. Oxford is to receive ARRA funding in the following three areas:
No Child Left Behind (NCLB) (July 1, 2009 – September 30, 2011)
Oxford has been approved to receive $4,945.00 in ARRA funds under the NCLB Title I Grant which must be spent to “Strengthen Education, Drive Reform, and Improve Results for Students”. NCLB is a Federal Grant Program and therefore the manner in which funds can be spent is restricted. These funds are in addition to the regular NCLB funds received.
The US Department of Education Office of Elementary and Secondary Education has suggested that funds be spent on:
· Programs or activities that can be conducted productively for two years and then terminated;
· Costs related to attracting effective teachers to Title I schools (40% or more of its students that come from low-income families); or
· Conducting pilot programs to test approaches in Title I schools that, if successful, may be supported with other funds in the future.
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (July 1, 2009 – September 30, 2011)
Oxford has been approved to receive IDEA funds in two areas; Basic (ages 5 – 21) and Preschool (ages 3 – 4). IDEA Basic will receive an additional $86,197.00 and IDEA Preschool will receive an additional $3,117.00 for a grand total of $89,314.00 in ARRA funds which must be spent to “Drive School Reform and Improvement”. IDEA is also a Federal Grant Program and funds may only be used to provide special education and related services to children with disabilities. These funds are in addition to the regular IDEA funds received.
The US Department of Education Office of Elementary and Secondary Education suggest the funds be spent on such items as:
· On-site professional development for special and general educators that leads to certification;
· Induction and mentoring programs for special educators;
· Technology hardware and software to improve achievement for students with disabilities;
· Assistive technology devices and services for students with disabilities.
State Fiscal Stabilization Fund (SFSF) (July 1, 2009 – June 30, 2010)
New Jersey received $1.3 billion in State Fiscal Stabilization Funds under ARRA to be used for education. Oxford is receiving a total of $381,099.00 in SFSF funds. Unlike NCLB and IDEA, the funds received under SFSF are NOT in addition to funds already received. In New Jersey, Governor Corzine used some of the national ARRA funds to replace the deficit in education funding for the 2009-2010 school year for those school districts that receive Equalization Aid (a portion of some school district’s state aid determined by district property wealth and district income). If this was not allowed under ARRA, state aid to Oxford and other districts which receive Equalization Aid may have been cut for the 2009-2010 school year.
The State of New Jersey allocated some of the ARRA funds in this fashion in order to save and/or create jobs for this school year. If Oxford’s state aid would be reduced by $381,099.00 the district has but two options available to close the revenue gap; raise taxes or cut expenses. Since only a fraction of the school district budget is discretionary the district would have to lay off approximately 16% of its staff and made drastic program and facility cuts. This would have a devastating effect on the educational programs and level of services that are currently provided in the district.
There are many variables that the district takes into consideration in constructing a responsible and educationally sound budget. This year we face a gubernatorial election which has, in the past, typically delayed notification to school districts as to the amount of state aid they will be receiving. This leaves districts the daunting task of formulating a budget without knowing exactly how much aid they are going to receive.
The goal of your Administration and Board of Education throughout this process is to promote transparency and accountability in its fiscal operations. We continue to ask questions, seek answers and explore alternate means of funding that will maintain the quality educational programs currently provided for all our students.
Thank you for your time and should you have any questions or if you would like additional information regarding the ARRA funding, please feel free to contact us at (908) 453-4101 or go to www.recovery.gov .
Very truly yours,
Robert J. Magnuson Patricia A. Decibus Milissa Dachisen
Chief School Administrator Business Administrator Vice-Principal
Ext. 2100 Ext. 2105 Ext. 2104
No comments:
Post a Comment