Brick Schools Awarded $4.6M State Grant For Facilities Projects

TRENTON, NJ — The Brick Township School District has been awarded nearly $4.6 million in grant funding to allow it to address "critical facilities needs," the state Department of Education has announced.

The award is part of $350 million awarded to 261 districts and is being provided through the state's Debt Defeasance and Prevention Fund, which was established two years ago to help pay down existing debt and avoid incurring new debt.

Brick Township submitted capital projects totalling $11,484,966 for grant consideration and was awarded $4,593,986, about 40 percent of the total projected cost.

Brick Township Superintendent Thomas Farrell and Business Administrator James Edwards said the district had not yet been notified which projects had been approved, and could not say for sure what the funding would cover.

"Hopefully we will know soon," Edwards said.

The state Department of Education did not say when districts would receive their award letters detailing what requests had been approved.

The NJDOE determined the selection of school projects receiving grant funds. School projects were identified by need, such as essential building systems upgrades like the repair or replacement of structural components, mechanical/heating and cooling, and electrical systems; building roofs; and to resolve building code issues. The funding will provide for numerous high-priority upgrades including 320 HVAC systems, 79 boilers or water heaters, and 211 roofs.

Besides the $449.9 million in state funding, local contributions totaling $598.5 million are estimated to bring the total cost of construction to more than $1 billion. The state-funded grants represent at least 40 percent of eligible costs for projects in the Regular Operating Districts (RODs) to address health and safety issues and other critical needs.

"The advancement of these projects further ensures high-quality learning environments for students and staff, addressing issues that can affect health and safety including replacement of leaky roofs and inefficient boilers," said Manuel Da Silva, chief executive officer of the Schools Development Authority, the state agency that manages the funding. "This grant funding impacts hundreds of local communities around the state by helping districts leverage resources to pay for important school facility projects while continuing to bolster the state’s construction industry."

"This funding demonstrates our ongoing commitment to providing safe, modern learning environments," said Angelica Allen-McMillan, acting Commissioner of Education. "In addition, improving the physical and safety conditions of school buildings improves working conditions for teachers and elevates the pride and support of the school community as a whole. This funding will benefit countless students in hundreds of schools throughout New Jersey."

Funding for the school construction initiative was made possible through legislation signed in 2022 and grant funding from SDA allocations.