Manalapan Receives Anti-Bullying Funding

More than 370 districts received funding for anti-bullying programs including $2,581 for Manalapan-Englishtown Regional schools and $5,302 for the Freehold Regional High School District. 

The state awarded some requesting school districts minor funding for the programs. The other week, $1 million was awarded, but according to NJ Spotlight, $5 million was requested.

The state list of funding shows districts were allocated anywhere from $36 in Haledon Boro in Passaic County to over $38,000 in Camden City. 

The new anti-bullying law went into effect in September. According to the state Web site, 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."

Funding requests come from districts when anti-bullying programs mandated by the state require money to run, for teacher training and hiring specialists to oversee programs.

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. Union Beach and Keyport Borough school districts are tied for the lowest funding received with $265 each.