Manalapan-Englishtown Schools Accept Grant from Peter Jay Sharp Foundation

During their July 19 meeting, the Manalapan-Englishtown Board of Education approved a challenge grant in the amount of $146,000 from the Peter Jay Sharp Foundation.   

The grant was obtained through the diligent work of the Foundation for Manalapan-Englishtown Regional Schools. Several members of the foundation attended the meeting, including President Patricia Berger, Vice President Jennifer Feineman, Treasurer Ralph Loggia, Secretary Gail Bonus, and Trustrees Andrea Baron, Brian Greene, Deborah Phillips-Privetera and Kadi Radman.

“They are bringing to the district some things that I think are very important and necessary to the future, and I personally want to thank them,” said Superintendent John J. Marciante about the volunteers.  

According to the board’s agenda, the money will be used solely in all eight district schools “to underwrite the costs of the Computer-Based Assessment Labs Project, for the five elementary schools and to purchase certain equipment for the other three schools not participating in the Project.” 

According to Berger, the will receive document cameras and a smart table, will get smart boards and document cameras, and will receive 30 music chairs and stands, dual smartboards, and wireless microphones.

Berger thanked Barry Tobias, a local resident and the Chief Administrative and Financial Officer at the Peter Jay Sharp Foundation. She said Tobias reached out to her after reading about the district foundation in the News Transcript. Last year, he helped the district obtain $25,000 to support school music programs and offset the cost of instrument rentals for students.

The Peter Jay Sharp foundation began after Sharp’s passing from melanoma in 1992; he was 61-years-old. According to an obituary in the New York Times, Sharp was “a leading Manhattan hotelier and real-estate developer” whose family owned the Carlyle Hotel.

“We’ve been working on this through December, and we’ve been trying to find out the needs of the district,” said Berger. “We sat in classrooms, showing him (Tobias) some of the technology and the smartboards. Then, (Assistant Superintendent) Dr. Monroe came up for the idea of the computer assessment labs. It gives the teachers and administrators a better picture of what the children really need. And it will be individualized for each student and what their needs are. It’s going to have a big impact,” said Berger.

According to the grant agreement, the K-5 schools will display plaques thanking the Peter Jay Sharp Foundation and honoring the Tobias family, whose children attended Manalapan-Englishtown schools.   

“I just want to also commend Pat (Berger) and her committee for all the work they’ve done over the last year and a half. They’ve worked extremely hard from day one and it’s been my pleasure to sit there and witness all the great work they’ve done,” said Board Vice-President Lori Semel. She and Board Member Brian Graime are liaisons to the school foundation.  

Board Member James Mumolie, an attorney, asked Berger to clarify some of the finer points of the agreement. Initially, Mumolie said he was a bit skeptical of a grant used primarily for technology, which is always changing.  

“It’s our goal to have our students starting some computer assessment this upcoming school year to prepare them and to also help our teachers,” said Dr. Monroe. She explained that in the next few years, the state will be moving towards computer standardized testing.  

Mumolie also wanted to make sure the distribution of equipment would be equitable among the schools. “We need an equal education throughout the district and it sounds like you did because you’ve been walking around, and I appreciate that,” he said.

“It’s nice to see that you have so many people on your board who are enthusiastic about it. It’s that enthusiasm that allows you to be so successful,” Board President Michele Stipelman said. Stipelman said that she is confident the district will put the money to good use.  

The Board Members present at the meeting voted unanimously to accept the grant. Members Brian Graime and Ralph Cafaro were absent.