By Eileen Oldfield, Staff Writer
The district is set to receive $156,329 in state funds to put toward replacing 19 windows at Woodfern School, though it will still pay $234,493 of the $390,822 total project cost.
The district accepted the grant it had applied for in November, and received a preliminary cost determination from the state in January, Business Administrator and Board Secretary Aiman Mahmoud said. The project is slated for June, after the school year ends, and involves replacing 19 classroom and office windows on the original part of the school.
The $156,329 comes through the New Jersey School Development Authority grants, which is providing $180 million to non-Abbott districts for capital improvement, maintenance and construction projects, according to a March 6 release from the governor’s office. The grants awarded are the first round of project funding, so districts will have two additional opportunities to file for grants, State Department of Education spokeswoman Beth Auerswald said.
Projects were divided into three priority levels, with the recently awarded grants addressing critical building needs including structural repairs; replacing windows, masonry, or school roofs; building code violations; hazardous materials renovations, including renovations for radon or asbestos; security and communication systems renovations and other projects.
Districts have until April 17 to apply for the second round of School Development Authority grants, though districts that applied for the grants earlier may receive notification about funding before the April 17 grant deadline. The second round of grants can be used for improving paving, fencing, or security lighting; renovation or new construction to address overcrowding or substandard conditions; and technology upgrades consistent with a district’s technology plan, excluding new equipment.
The district applied for funding for 11 other projects, and should hear from the state in April or May, Mr. Mahmoud said.
The third round of funding includes money for renovations or expansions on existing schools, or the construction of new schools. The grants applications for the third set of funds would not be due until 2010, Ms. Auerswald said.

