West Orange School District Nets $315K to Save Teaching Jobs

West Orange School District will get an extra boost in federal cash this year to help save teaching jobs.

U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-8) said Monday evening that the district will receive $315,573 from New Jersey's $268 million slice of the $10 billion federal Education Jobs Fund.

"Anyone who spends just a little time with young people in a classroom knows that these are some of the best-invested federal dollars in our communities, especially during times of severe economic turmoil," said Pascrell, a House Ways and Means Committee member and a former high school history teacher. "This money will be going directly towards keeping teachers in the classroom by helping school districts cope with the effect the recession has had on their budgets. Every dollar we spend on our children's education is a dollar spent on a secure and prosperous future for our country and its citizens. It's up to us to help all students realize that better future. That's what this funding is helping us accomplish."

Anthony Cavanna, West Orange schools' superintendent, said he doesn't know yet how the cash will be divvied among the township's 11 public schools.

"I've met with some of the administrators and some of the central office staff, but we haven't made final decisions and we have to discuss it with the board," he said. "Within the next week or so, we will have recommendations for the board."

Cavanna said, however, the cash likely will go to the schools that need it the most.

"We hope we can be equitable, but we may funnel it to where the greatest needs are," he said. "It will have to do with instruction, literacy in math ... support services for children and maybe some English-language learners."

He said the $315,000 "is not a great deal of money, considering the last time, we (West Orange schools) got $1.9 million."

The school district must use the cash only for compensation and benefits and other expenses, such as support services, necessary to retain existing employees, to recall or rehire former employees and to hire new employees, in order to provide early childhood, elementary or secondary educational and related services.

West Orange resident Joe Krakoviak, who's running for a township council seat in November, attended Monday night's school board meeting at Hazel Elementary School and said any cash the schools can get is good.

"The most important thing in this community is to give the kids the best education we can afford," he said. "It's a social contract ... and we need to do it as well as we can ... and it sounds like $315,000 is a great addition to our schools."

Marguerite DeCarlo, of West Orange, and former Hazel Elementary School principal, said the money will allow the school district to continue to stabilize itself as it cuts costs.

"The district did a lot of cutting before the school year started and they were able to maintain the classroom teachers, but it's important that we also maintain our reading specialists, as well," she said. "So, I think with the additional monies, the district will be able to continue for the remainder of the year and that we will be able maintain all of the services."

The Garden State's portion of the Education Jobs Fund is expected to save 3,900 teaching and support staff jobs in New Jersey, with the national fund projected to save 140,000 jobs.

"It's welcomed, but it's only for one year," said Cavanna. "So, we want to have the biggest bang for the buck and we need to figure out how to do that."