JACKSON – After months of waiting and some rumors about approval, the township school district can now make plans concerning what to do with COVID-related funding.
Superintendent Nicole Pormilli previously said she had heard rumors “that our application that we submitted will be approved.” At the time however, she had nothing in writing and didn’t want to give the Board or the public any false hopes until it became official.
Board member Gus Acevedo said that as the Board votes on expenditures “we are doing it counting on the fact that we are going to get that money.”
Assistant Superintendent Robert Rontate provided some positive news during the latest Board of Education meeting stating, “one of the things we have received from the state from the COVID pandemic is our ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) funds. This is money that is designated to specific programs that will impact students who have been affected from the past year and a half of schooling.”
“This money is being specifically targeted for enrichment activities that go beyond the school day and activities that support the mental health of our students,” Rotante added.
He said that in a survey which drew over 644 responses from parents, “there is a strong interest for after school programs whether it is in person, whether it is tutoring, whether it is homework help, whether it is enrichment – whatever the case may be. There is a stronger desire to have students remain after school and work on additional activities. We will be working with our staff to add these new programs and enhance programs as this school year goes on.”
He said the survey covered what parents felt were the priority areas that their children needed support with. “Not a tremendous surprise, writing, reading, mathematics, were the top area where parents felt their children needed the most support in.”
Environmental Matter
During recent Board meetings a matter involving the State Department of Environmental Protection was brought up. It was determined that the district was not a violation but $30,000 would be spent correcting a problem at the transportation yard. It is not a fine from the state but designed to help the district remain compliant with the regulations of that agency, officials said. The Board has had an ongoing case with respect to a release from an underground storage tank from the mid-1980s.
A member of the Board asked about a change order for professional services with Langan Engineering and Environmental Services for the Jackson Memorial High School Transportation Site.
Langan Engineering and Environmental Services, Inc. of Elmwood Park, has a contract with the school district to provide environmental services and to be the district’s LSRP (Licensed Site Remediation Professional). DEP regulations require a LSRP in certain situations. This specific motion increased the school district continuing that contract in the amount of $30,000.
Langan’s work involves additional research, investigation and evaluation of environmental data to assess existing conditions as the DEP requires.
The JEA’s role
Lisa Crate, the president of the Jackson Education Association that represents nearly 950 employees in the district explained the role of the association so that parents, Board members and residents could have a better understanding of what it is that “we do here in the district and in the community and in the lives of our students and their families.”
She spoke of the difficulties and challenges of reopening in September with some students not having stepped into a classroom for 18 months. “Making the students feel welcome was one of our top priorities. The coordination with our members, the teachers and para professionals and our secretaries and everyone working along with our bus drivers and custodial staff and cafeteria workers…I believe we work well with our administration and helped to get the year started in a way that we think most of the students were excited about.
“We are proud of the relationship that we are rebuilding with our students and our families and our colleagues after the time we had last year when many of us were away. The work we are doing together is, we hope, beginning to make a difference,” the association president said.
One of the JEA’s goals for this school year is “to help us fund activities that will help bring the schools and the community together. Through the NJEA’s PRIDE and FAST grants we are going to aim to provide nearly $37,000 of help and support to our classroom and district initiatives including orientation days, family nights, young authors nights, honor society inductions, award banquets,” she added.
She added that in the last two years the JEA expanded its community outreach spending over $6,000 hosting food drives, in conjunction with the Jackson Women of Today and the Jackson Food Pantry sponsoring recreation teams. “We are looking forward to the spring when we can sponsor our students who play in our Little Leagues.
“Many of our members live here and they have children that go to school here and we want what is best for our students and we are happy to build relationships and work alongside anyone who wants to work with us. That is our invitation tonight to the community,” she concluded.
