It is with great excitement that the district announces reimbursements of approximately $3,000,000 from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)/ New Jersey Office of Emergency Management (NJOEM) since the start of the school year. These reimbursements came from two funding sources, the Cares Relief Fund Grant 2020 and the COVID-19 Pandemic Grant 4488. During the process of submitting for reimbursement from FEMA, the district was advised that over $2,000,0000 of purchases for the pandemic on Grant 4488 were not eligible for reimbursement, but an alternate funding source was available if all documentation was submitted before the deadline. The district shifted gears and worked diligently with the New Jersey State Police Department of Emergency Management to ensure all documentation was provided so that this reimbursement opportunity would not be missed.
Due to this collaborative effort, the district’s first reimbursement in the amount of $2,000,402.52 was made on September 22, 2022. Upon completion of this time sensitive grant submission, the district continued to work on grant 4488 which resulted in a second reimbursement in the amount of $916,978.22 on November 10, 2022. These types of grants are available to most school districts, but in many cases, are overlooked due to the time and effort needed to provide the required documentation which may include forced account labor, contract services, purchase orders, pay stubs and/or check payments made to vendors.
The district is currently working on an additional reimbursement request in the amount of $320,000 through Grant 4488 along with the initial submission for obligation through Grant 4614 which is for expenses incurred as a result of the remnants of Hurricane Ida.