COVID-19 Relief: No Money For Long Valley School Districts

CHATHAM, NJ — New Jersey school districts were told this week how much federal aid is coming to help mitigate the budgetary issues stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Washington Township School District and the West Morris Regional School District will not be receiving any money to help offset expenses from the coronavirus pandemic.

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The state Department of Education received $310 million in federal K-12 aid through the CARES Act. More than $200 million from that aid package was awarded to individual districts. Each district's allocation is based on its share of funding under Title I, the federal government’s primary funding program for high-poverty schools.

"It doesn't really make sense to ground COVID-19 expense relief allocations on something (i.e. Title I, A funding) used to ensure, among other things, proficiency standards," West Morris Regional Superintendent Michael Ben-David told Patch. "That said, I credit the State with acting quickly to assist school districts that need assistance supplying students with the technology/resources they need to succeed in a remote learning environment. I'm certain that had they had more time, they would have been better able to assess the real impact on each district."

CARES Act Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Funds Allocations and Application The federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act includes specific funding sources for Local Education Agencies (LEAs).

The New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) has released LEAs’ ESSER Fund allocations.

ESSER Fund awards to LEAs are allocated in the same proportion as those funds received under Part A of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended, in school year 2019-20.

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