by Eileen Oldfield, Staff Writer
Federal stimulus money the district could receive through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has district administrators wary of the money it would receive.
During Monday’s Board of Education meeting, District Superintendent Donald Burkhardt listed uncertainties about the funding amount, including how long the district would receive the funding, and uses for the money.
Manville can receive $127,644 in Title I funding for economically disadvantaged students through the stimulus package and $364,057 in total Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) funding, both over a two-year period, according to an April 16 State Department of Education release. Of the IDEA funds available, $351,391 must be used toward general special education programs, and $12,666 must be used for special education preschool programs.
The funding amounts can be lower than the federally-allocated amounts, however, because of state-level adjustments to the funds, the release read.
Under the Title I requirements, Manville could use the funds for training teachers to address academic achievement problems or to act as leaders for school-wide programs, modifying the school schedule to allow staff collaboration, strengthening curriculum, providing education coaches for reading and math, or creating additional learning opportunities for students. The State Department of Education recommends a variety of areas for Title I funds, but specifically lists creating preschool programs, and modifying existing high school programs to prepare students for careers and college.
According to the release, possible uses for the IDEA funds include technology, staff training, program expansion, and additional staffing. Particular priorities include enhancing in-district programs; improving student performance in areas covered by the NJ School Report card, such as standardized test scores, graduation rates, drop-out rates, transition from school to the working world, and suspensions and expulsions; and upgrading existing Special Education technology.
But districts must apply for the money, and would receive the released amount after applying Department of Education Spokeswoman Beth Auerswald said. The IDEA money Manville will receive is only for special education use, however, and cannot be used toward the state-mandated preschool programs, should the programs be required next year.
”That (the preschool funds) is just for the IDEA,” Ms. Auerswald said. “That’s just for the special education programs. It’s different from the $25 million that was put into the (state) budget.”
The Title I funds can be used to supplement the $25 million the state allocated for preschool, according to the release.

