N.J. Admin. Code § 6A:26-18.4 - Section 15 grants for county vocational school district school facilities projects

(a) A county vocational school district school facilities project shall be eligible for a section 15 grant provided the school district has an approved LRFP pursuant to 6A:26-2.1(b), there are no excess costs, and the project falls within either the Level 1 or Level 2 priority project categories described as follows:

1. Level 1 county vocational school district school facilities projects.

i. Level 1 county vocational school district school facilities projects address the most critical operational building needs, including health and safety issues. The projects must consist of one or more of the following:

(1) Capital maintenance projects (maintenance intended to extend the useful life of a school facility, including upgrades and replacement of building systems such as structure, enclosure, mechanical, plumbing, and electrical systems, and can be considered to constitute or be part of a school facilities project);

(2) Projects that address handicapped accessibility, including site and building access, toilet room renovations, or program expansion or educational adequacy for special population needs;

(3) Building code issues; or

(4) Technology infrastructure for classroom instruction in accordance with the Department's Technology Plan, not including equipment.

2. Level 2 county vocational school district school facilities projects.

i. Level 2 county vocational school district school facilities projects must consist of one or more of the following:

(1) Upgrades to existing vocational instructional space to meet certification requirements;

(2) Renovations to existing vocational instructional space to support new programs approved by the Office of Career and Technical Education; or

(3) Additions for existing vocational instructional space to meet industry certification standards.

ii. Level 2 projects shall be evaluated based upon attributes that include, but are not limited to, the following:

(1) Industry certification requirements or standards;

(2) Gap analysis between existing facilities and industry requirements or standards;

(3) Enrollment or anticipated enrollment;

(4) Priority of the related career cluster in the State and local approved Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education five-year plan; and

(5) Labor market demand.

(b) Section 15 grants shall be allocated to school facilities projects in the county vocational school districts that fall first within Level 1 and then Level 2 in the following order of priority until the entire allocation has been awarded:

1. County vocational school districts that received no State funding support for its school facilities projects from the $ 100,000,000 of bond proceeds originally allocated for the State share of county vocational school district school facilities projects. If the total amount requested by county vocational school districts in this category exceeds the amount available, the State share of the preliminary eligible costs approved shall be adjusted on a pro rata basis calculated by multiplying the eligible State share by the ratio of the available funds divided by the total eligible State share. The Department may notify the county vocational school districts of the State share of the final eligible costs in this category prior to the determinations of the State share of the final eligible costs in the following categories.

2. County vocational school districts that received less than $ 1,000,000 in State funding support for its school facilities projects from the $ 100,000,000 of bond proceeds originally allocated for the State share of county vocational school district school facilities projects. The Department may notify the county vocational school districts of the State share of the final eligible costs in this category prior to the determinations of the State share of the final eligible costs in the following categories.

3. County vocational school districts that received greater than $ 1,000,000 but less than $ 5,000,000 in State funding support for its school facilities projects from the $ 100,000,000 of bond proceeds originally allocated for the State share of county vocational school district school facilities projects. The Department may notify the county vocational school districts of the State share of the final eligible costs in this category prior to the determinations of the State share of the final eligible costs in the following categories.

4. County vocational school districts that received greater than $ 5,000,000 in State funding support for its school facilities projects from the $ 100,000,000 of bond proceeds originally allocated for the State share of county vocational school district school facilities projects.

5. If the entire $ 50 million available for school facilities projects in county vocational school districts has not been allocated pursuant to (c)1 through 4 above, additional allocations shall be made based on the same order of funding indicated in (c)1 through 4 above, and on the total of new funding received from the allocation and funding received from the original allocation.

(c) If a school facilities project has been previously approved by the Department and the county vocational school district would like it to be considered for section 15 grant funding, one of the following options may be selected based on the type of project approval:

1. If the project was approved as an other capital project, the county vocational school district may cancel the project application and resubmit to the Department a new project application in accordance with the grant deadlines established pursuant to 6A:26-18.3(a) and (b).

2. If the project was approved for State debt service aid, two options shall be available:

i. If the county vocational school district has accepted the preliminary eligible costs as the final eligible costs, it may cancel the project and submit to the Department a new project application.

ii. If the county vocational school district has not accepted the preliminary eligible costs as the final eligible costs, it may request the school facilities project to be considered for a section 15 grant.

3. All cancellation requests and resubmissions shall include a resolution from the county board of chosen freeholders requesting the cancellation and resubmission of the specified project and shall meet the grant application deadlines established pursuant to 6A:26-18.3(a) and (b).

(d) If a county vocational school district elects to cancel a project and apply for a section 15 grant, the school facilities project shall meet the eligibility requirements listed in (a) above.

(e) If a school facilities project in a county vocational school district does not receive section 15 grant funding, the county vocational school district shall have one of the options listed below, depending upon the type of school facilities project.

1. If the proposed school facilities project is not included in Level 1 or Level 2 project priority categories per (a) above, the county vocational school district may revise and resubmit the school facilities project.

2. If the school facilities project has eligible costs for State support, the county vocational school district may request State debt service aid instead of a section 15 grant pursuant to 18A:7G-9.

3. If the county vocational school district does not want State debt service aid, it may revise and resubmit an application for an other capital project pursuant to 6A:26-3.1(b) and for full funding without State support.

Notes

N.J. Admin. Code § 6A:26-18.4

Recodified from N.J.A.C. 6A:26-18.6 and amended by R.2013 d.145, effective 12/16/2013.
See: 45 N.J.R. 1026(a), 45 N.J.R. 2557(a).
Rewrote the section. Former N.J.A.C. 6A:26-18.4, Funding options for school facilities project in RODs, other than county vocational school districts, which are not awarded a section 15 grant, recodified to N.J.A.C. 6A:26-18.2.