Fiscal Year 2002

On Monday, September 17, 2001, President Bush and U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige announced a $1.5 million grant to New Jersey that supports grief and trauma counseling and other services for students and educators in the wake of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania. Grants are available to all local education agencies/charter schools (LEAs) impacted by the terrorist attacks for trauma response to help members of their school communities. The grant provides for immediate funds from the U.S. Department of Education as part of its Project School Emergency Response to Violence (SERV). The President announced what will be the first step in the U.S. Department of Education's efforts to help students, families and teachers in the area who have been deeply impacted by the terrorist attacks.

Project SERV is intended to provide education-related services to LEAs in which the learning environment has been disrupted due to violent or traumatic events. LEAs receiving funds must demonstrate that the learning environment has been disrupted as a result of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Requests for funds may exceed the available award; therefore, selection will be based upon the level of impact and may be ratably reduced in a fair and equitable manner. Project SERV funds must be in addition to costs the LEA would have incurred in the absence of this crisis. The funds are available to meet the immediate needs of the students in these LEAs, as well as their longer-term crisis response needs.

Activities and costs that are reasonable, necessary, essential and are intended to restore a sense of safety and security; activities intended to assist the victims/students understand the dynamics of victimization and stabilize their lives; and activities that assist LEA's in managing the practical problems created by the traumatic event that have produced an undue hardship upon the LEA.

The following are types of services:

• Mental health assessments, referrals and services related to the traumatic event with the goal of restoring victims/survivors to their pre-incident levels of functioning;

• Overtime for teachers, counselors, and law enforcement and security officers and other staff;

• Substitute teachers and other staff, as necessary;

• Emergency transportation;

• Technical assistance on developing an appropriate response to crisis;

• Transportation and other costs to operate school at an alternative site; e.g., leasing of space to substitute for a damaged building;

• Temporary security measures such as nonpermanent metal detectors and additional security guards and security cameras;

• Hate crimes curricula and training in response to events triggered by the traumatic event of September 11, 2001.

• Other: This list is not meant to be exhaustive and LEAs may add other services as necessary.

• Permanent security measures such as stationary metal detectors, permanent security cameras;

• Construction;

• Claims recoverable under insurance coverage, including Medicaid reimbursements for related services to students, staff and their families;

• Payments of fines assessed upon the LEA, employees and/or members of employees' or students' families;

• Payment or settlements assessed against the LEA, employees and/or members of employees’ or students’ families in civil actions;

• Costs for hospitalization, treatment of physical injuries, rehabilitation or prescription costs;

• Payment of legal fees or loss of wages due to court appearances incurred by the LEA, employees and /or members of employees’ or students’ families;

• Payment for public relations consultants or activities;

• Services of existing county/public/private non-profit mental health agency staff whose role is to respond to emergency mental health needs of children;

• Services normally provided by the LEA;

• Any activities for which other resources are available, e.g., insurance, construction, or renovation funding;

• Mental health services for persons other than teachers, students, faculty or members of their immediate families;

• Violence and drug prevention activities or programs, except those specifically addressing hate crimes issues.

The Project SERV application and directions are available on the NJDOE web site: www.state.nj.us/education (Select Grants; Select Entitlement Grants; Select Project SERV) LEA board of education approval for application submission has been waived by the NJDOE.

The project period for Project SERV is from September 11, 2001 to August 31, 2002.

LEAs must submit one copy of the application by fax only (609-777-1051) to the Office of Grants Management and Development and one copy to your county office of education by October 15, 2001. Late applications will not be accepted.

The expedited application process may require that LEAs convene a special LEA Board of Education meeting to approve the Project SERV award and to act on the "Grant Acceptance Certificate" (GAC). This will ensure a timely disbursement of Project SERV funds. The Project SERV GAC must be received by the Office of Grants Management by November 12, 2001.