School districts' anti-bullying funds range from $38K to only $36
Published: Tuesday, July 03, 2012, 4:46 PM Updated: Tuesday, July 03, 2012, 4:56 PM
A group of Long Branch Middle School students are shown in a 2011 file photo. The students created a re-mix of Enrique Iglesias' pop hit: "I Like it" called Bullying: We'll Stop It"TRENTON — Some 371 New Jersey school districts are receiving funds to reimburse them for costs incurred last year under the state's new anti-bullying law although for many, the money may not go very far.
The state Department of Education awarded just under $1 million to 371 districts, with amounts ranging from $38,519 in Camden, to $46 in Oradell, and $36 in the Haledon Borough School District.
Charter schools grants ranged from $9,166 for the Paterson Charter School for Science and Technology, to $123 for Hoboken Charter School.
The state gave all requesting districts an award amounting to 20 percent of the eligible expenses they had asked for. Total requests had totaled $4.9 million.
The money came from a $1 million fund announced by the Christie administration in the spring, after the state Council on Local Mandates determined that without any funding, the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights was an unfunded mandate, and thus unconstitutional.
Haledon Superintendent Richard Ney said he was disappointed that his K-8 district, which has 1,045 students, did not receive more funds. He said the district had requested $180 for the cost of