BY DANIELLE MEDINA
Correspondent
BRICK TOWNSHIP – – State Assemblyman David W. Wolfe (R-10th) pledged to help the school district get a share of a $5 million for autism programs, after Brick was shut out of a $15 million grant award last month.
Wolfe said he and Sen. Andrew Ciesla met with Department of Education Commission Lucille Davy, representatives of the governor’s staff and school district officials to discuss Brick’s exclusion from the $15 million grant.
“This money was not based on the number of autistic children,” Wolfe said at the Board of Education meeting last week. “It was based on two criteria – do you have a new program or do you have a program that is going to incorporate kids from other districts. If you look at it that way, Brick scored a little bit above the middle in terms of eligibility.”
Only 55 districts of the 250 school districts statewide that applied for the grant received state funding to establish, enhance or expand their autism programs.
Two of the largest school districts in Ocean County – Brick Township and Toms River Regional – were not among those chosen.
“We have spoken to the commissioner and governor’s office to make sure that both Brick and Toms River get their fair share of that money when it gets to be distributed,” Wolfe said.
Wolfe was on hand to present Schools Superintendent Thomas L. Seidenberger an award for the district’s involvement in the Green Schools program, a nationwide initiative aimed at helping schools find ways to lower their energy costs. Any savings incurred is returned to the schools to reinvest in the program or in other educational programs.
“Brick is the model for the state of New Jersey and the country for saving energy and money,” Wolfe said.
Wolfe said that under the program the district saved between 4 and 36 percent on its energy costs in six schools in the 2004-05 school year. The program was expanded into all of the district’s school the following year.
The school district was also recognized at the American Association of School Administrators National Conference on Education on March 1 for its efforts in raising money and supplies for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
The district raised more than $30,000 in cash and backpacks stuffed with school supplies for students in the Gulfport, Miss., school district.
“This award typifies the type of people that live in this community,” said board President Sharon Kight. “This district answered the call to help.”
Interim Business Administrator Melindo A. Persi was awarded a Distinguished Service Award by former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor at the same conference for his 50 years of public education service.