BRICK – Superintendent of Schools Dr. Thomas Farrell said he was excited to announce that the district has been awarded nearly $7.5 million in New Jersey State Emergency Aid that would help to address students, staff and infrastructure needs for the district.
Brick will receive $6,527,350 in “Stabilization Aid,” and a $967,754 “Education Rescue Grant,” totaling $7,495,004, awarded to school districts during times of fiscal distress.
“Brick schools has lost almost $15 million in state funding over the previous four years, and will lose an additional $5.2 million in the 22-23 school year due to S-2,” he said during the November 18 Board of Education meeting. (NJ State Senate Bill S-2 modified school funding in 2018 and eliminated more than $20 million to the township over a seven year period).
“This funding allows us to invest in a mix of capital expenditures such as much-needed HVAC ventilation improvements in our buildings, as well as staffing, technology and transportation needs,” Dr. Farrell said.
The grants will enable the district to increase the capital expenditures to provide essential infrastructure improvements to school buildings, he said.
During the Facilities Committee report, School Business Administrator James Edwards said that Dr. Farrell is working on a proposal with the administration for Finance Committee review relating to the restoration of some positions that were cut during the last round of S-2 cuts.
“Dr. Farrell informed the committee that roughly 90 percent of the money received would be used to fund additional projects related to health, safety, indoor air quality and energy savings, most paramount being air-conditioning installation – pending material and equipment availability,” Edwards said.
During public comment, resident Vic Finelli asked if all the buildings would be air-conditioned despite a recent demographic study that showed the district’s student population continues to decline.
“Are you going to [get air-conditioning in all the schools] before you look and see if you have to close any?” Finelli asked. “Because if you do, you’re wasting money and you’re not going to get it back.”
Reading from a draft of the demographic study, Finelli said that the highest student enrollment was in 2003-2004 when there were 11,604 Brick students. The current enrollment is 7,962, not including some 500 enrolled in pre-k.
“Have you looked at the demographic study? Does it show you anything that you didn’t know? Are you planning on acting on it in the future?” Finelli asked.
Dr. Farrell said the study would be part of the strategic planning process, and strategic planning has not reconvened in a few months.
“That demographic study goes through Facility – all the different subcommittees before it gets to the Steering Committee,” he said.
“That preliminary study will be all part of the strategic planning that will come out of that whole process,” Dr. Farrell said.
The Strategic Planning committee would be looking at demographics, past financials, different programming, enrollments, state money – “that’s all part of this process,” the superintendent said.
Dr. Farrell said he hopes to present the strategic plan by the end of this school year.
The next Board of Education meeting will be on Thursday, December 16 at the Professional Development Center.
