Dear Editor:
"We were aware of the grants, but what we spent was so incrementally small we didn’t really feel it was worth the paperwork." These are the words of School Board President David Anthony in a local daily newspaper.
On the same day Mr. Anthony and the Hoboken Board of Education held a press conference to congratulate themselves on making badly needed repairs to our children’s schools, the state of New Jersey announced more than $1 million in federal aid for schools across the state to help cope with the tragic events of September 11. Hoboken did not receive a dime — because it wasn’t worth the paperwork.
The federal funds are from Project SERV (School Emergency Response to Violence). According to New Jersey Department of Education’s Website, activities that may be funded by project SERV are mental health services for children, overtime for teachers, counselors, security staff, substitute teachers, emergency transportation, temporary security measures and technical assistance in developing an appropriate response to a crisis. The funds are also intended to help schools strengthen emergency plans if tragedy should strike again.
How could the Hoboken Board of Ed neglect to apply for even a small amount of financial assistance? Were they too busy? Or is the contempt for the Hoboken taxpayer showing? Districts with vision used the grant money in creative ways. Two school districts as far away as Camden County received a combined $64,000, neighboring Jersey City received more than $200,000 and seven separate awards were granted to Bergen County schools totaling $443,000. Not all of these dollars were used to offset the volunteerism displayed on September 11 and beyond; most dollars will be used to ensure the safety of students and personnel in the event of another tragedy. Hoboken likely would have received more than enough aid to cover whatever expenses were incurred on September 11, as well as money left over to help shore up emergency management plans — if not for that pesky little paperwork.
This is about more than applications for federal grants. It doesn’t matter if volunteers outnumbered the people who used our schools as shelters on September 11. This is about having school leadership that values our children enough to put the children’s needs above their own. If that should mean sacrificing a few hours to do some "worthless" paperwork, then so be it.
Thank you for your many courtesies.
I remain,
Perry Belfiore