$45K Donation To Fund School Grants In Bernards Township Schools

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — In its first year as a nonprofit organization, the Bernards Township Education Foundation has made a $45,000 donation to the school district.

During the Monday night Board of Education(BOE) meeting, Superintendent Nick Markarian thanked the foundation for the contribution and the work behind it.

Markarian called it a "super, duper generous donation" and said, "I just wanted to thank you, guys. Very, very organized and an amazing amount of work … it's just been amazing to watch what you were able to accomplish in such a short period of time."

The Bernards Township BOE accepted the $45,023.68 donation to fund BTEF grants for the 2026-27 school year.

The grants include:

• Interactive Periodic Display at Ridge for $4,056
• K Resources for MLLs for all elementary schools for $4,659.63
• STEM Makers at LCS for $3,907.90
• Project Adventure at Ridge for $4,960
• Social Studies on the Go at CHS for $3,361.59
• Enrich SEL Through Play Centers at OSS for $4,759.66
• Executive Functioning-Kinder at MPS for $2,791.97
• Desktop CNC at Ridge for $4,059.78
• Decodable Readers Kindergarten at LCS for $4,403.80
• Ridge Productions at Ridge for $3,329.99
• Move to Lean at MPS/SN for $2,239.92
• Power of Pages at MPS for $2,493.44

The Bernards Township Education Foundation was formed by a group of parents in September 2025, dedicated to enriching the education experience of students. Read More: Bernards Township Parents Step Up To Support Schools After Budget Cuts

Sunita Patel, one of the co-presidents of BTEF, said the group was formally recognized by the board 10 months earlier.

Patel said returning to the board with a $45,000 check took significant effort from the foundation team.

"We are so grateful for our amazing team that in just 10 short months to come around and to be coming back to the Board of Education with a $45,000 check has been no small feat, thank you, team," Patel said.

Esther Kau, the other co-president of BTEF, said this was the foundation's first grant cycle.

Kau said the group received 21 applications and selected 12 grants for funding after reviewing work that included staff, administration, and foundation members.

"Twelve of these grants today are being sponsored, and they are going to bring curiosity, innovation, and creativity to our classrooms," said Kau.

Foundation representatives visited the schools on Tuesday and Wednesday to surprise teachers and celebrate the grants.

The donation accepted by the board is designated for the 2026-27 school year grants, according to the resolution.

For more information on the BTEF or to become involved, visit bernardstef.org or follow instagram.com/bernards_education_foundation or facebook.com or linkedin.com/in/bernards-education-foundation.

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