The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) has announced that its Division of Local Government Services (DLGS) is now accepting applications from eligible public school districts and government entities for funding under the School Regionalization Efficiency Program (SREP). The grants provided by the program are intended to cover eligible costs associated with feasibility studies. These studies will explore potential mergers of school districts, including forming regional and county-level school districts, to assess whether such consolidations could result in cost savings or other efficiencies beneficial to students and taxpayers.
Jacquelyn A. Suárez, the DCA Commissioner, stated: "School regionalization in New Jersey is advancing, and more districts are taking advantage of the School Regionalization Efficiency Program grants through the Division of Local Government Services. These grants allow public school districts to explore the outcomes of potential regionalization so that they can provide the best possible education to students while ensuring cost savings for taxpayers. We look forward to continuing conversations with district officials to support their initiative development."
Kevin Dehmer, interim commissioner of the Department of Education, emphasized: "The School Regionalization Efficiency Program is a valuable opportunity for districts to consider how regionalization can strengthen and expand education offered to their students. By encouraging districts to explore these avenues, our goal is to enhance educational activities and increase resources and services available for students. Through regionalization, communities can create new educational and extracurricular opportunities for students, support uninterrupted academic progress, and improve outcomes at all educational levels."
Eligible applicants for grant funds include boards of education from local school districts, consolidated school districts, non-operating school districts in New Jersey, as well as boards from limited or general-purpose regional districts. Entities without a board of education but part of a consolidated district or a constituent municipality within a limited-purpose or general-purpose regional district may also apply.
Funding is available for projects ranging from preschool through high school level consolidation studies across counties:
- Preliminary feasibility studies aimed at forming multipurpose regional districts by expanding existing limited-purpose ones through consolidation.
- New feasibility study proposals regarding school district regionalization.
- Previously completed feasibility studies finalized two years prior to June 29, 2021.
Feasibility studies funded by SREP must evaluate factors like enrollment numbers, facility use, low-enrollment contiguous districts, existing exchange relationships, administrative staffing needs, class sizes diversity improvement efforts debt obligations contractual obligations faculty requirements dropout rates among others.
Grant amounts may cover up-to 100%of study costs based on execution quality results recommendations encourage pursuing service sharing agreements though not mandatory after completion.
Applications should be submitted via DCA's SAGE Portal: https://dcasage.intelligrants.com/portal.asp as soon possible given FY2025 state budget allocation availability guidelines implementation details are accessible on DCA website: https://www.nj.gov/dca/dlgs/programs/srep_grants.shtml inquiries about SREP grants should directed email DLGS.SREPGRANT@dca.nj.gov shared services questions go sharedservices@nj.gov
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