BY WALTER ELLIOTT
NEWARK – Officials at Newark Public Schools, the East Orange School District and the Robert Treat Academy Charter Schools are figuring out whether or how to complete their infrastructure projects since the United States Department of Education had abruptly turned off one of its funding spigots March 28.
The $85 million in leftover COVID pandemic aid that 20 New Jersey school districts that they thought that day had until 2026 to spend was abruptly canceled by the USDOE at 5 p.m. that Friday. The federal agency had similarly denied extending an overall $3 billion to districts in 40 other U.S. states and the District of Columbia that Friday.
The districts had been on “liquidation extensions” that were to last into 2026 that U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon had rendered null and void. They were funds from the $130 billion that Congress had approved in March 2021 as part of the America Rescue Plan Act.
The allocation was to fund projects that would improve student health and safety until Sept. 30, 2024. The said 20 New Jersey districts were granted extensions to Jan. 30, 2025 and were on the then-current extension until March 30, 2026. They said they made the extension requests to help pay down contracts.
“Local Talk” has asked Newark, East Orange and Robert Treat officials about what projects are affected and funding alternatives April 7.
Some of the projects involve HVAC upgrades and electrical work.
By failing to meet the clear deadline in the regulation, you ran the risk of that the Department would deny your extension request,” said McMahon that Friday. “Extending deadlines for COVID-related grants, which are in fact taxpayer funds, years after the pandemic ended isn’t consistent with the Department’s priorities and thus not a worthwhile exercise of its discretion.”
Some districts appealed on grounds that they did not get McMahon’s cancellation memo until 5:03 p.m.
McMahon did not totally shut off the $85 million but is making its access constricted. State level school officials must now send a letter explaining why an extension is “necessary to mitigate the effects of COVID on American students’ education” and why “the Department should exercise its discretion to grant your request.” USDOE, said McMahon, will consider extensions “on an individual project-specific basis.”
Gov. Phil Murphy (D-Rumson) said on April 1 that he will ask the state’s Congressional delegation to try to get access to the $85 million back.
“These cuts are reckless and irresponsible, allowing us very little time for contingency plans,” said Murphy. “New Jersey is proud of our best-in-the-nation public school system. We’ll do everything we can to restore this funding and maintain our reputation for excellence in public education.”
