The Matawan-Aberdeen school district has been allocated $3,520 from the State Department of Education. The funds are part of meant to help New Jersey school districts pay for the rising costs of anti-bullying programs mandated by legislation passed last year.
The new anti-bullying law went into effect in September. According to the state website, this Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act is meant to "support the prevention, remediation and reporting" of HIB (Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying) in state schools. However, the State Council on Local Mandates ruled on January 27 of this year that the because it neglected to provide funding for districts to satisfy the new rules. The ruling would go into effect after 60 days if the state did not find this funding.
School districts had to apply for these financial awards no later than May 11, and according to a memo sent out to chief school administrators, applications had to include "justification for HIB prevention costs."
At $3,520 Matawan-Aberdeen ended up in the middle of the award amounts. Of the 24 Monmouth County districts that received funding, Howell received the highest amount with $14,606 and is the only district in the county to have been given more than $10,000 (Matawan-Aberdeen received the fifth-highest amount). Union Beach and Keyport Borough school districts are tied for the lowest funding received with $265 each.
In the state, the highest is the Camden City school district with $38,519, but the lowest is Haledon Borough School District in Passaic County with a mere $36. The entire award list can be viewed here.
