$4.2M In School Construction Funds From NJ Awarded To Mendham, Chester

MENDHAM, NJ — A new wave of state funding will enable hundreds of schools to make crucial infrastructure upgrades that can help keep kids in the classroom – and some of it is coming to Mendham and Chester.

Last week, the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) and the New Jersey Schools Development Authority (SDA) announced the approval of roughly $450 million in construction funds to address critical facility needs in 261 school districts throughout the state.

For the West Morris Regional High School District, the state will pay $1,351,300, which will be put towards a $3,378,250 estimated project cost, state officials said.

For the Mendham Township School District, the state will pay $791,784, which will be put toward a $1,979,459 estimated project cost, state officials said.

The Mendham Borough School District submitted capital projects totaling $1,203,750 for grant consideration and was awarded $481,500.

Chester Township schools received the most money, with the state covering $1,603,795 of the $4,009,48 estimated project cost.

According to officials, the improvements were "identified by needs" and included major building renovations, boiler replacement, HVAC and electrical system replacement, and roof repairs. The cash will also assist some districts in resolving building code violations.

Funding for the school construction initiative was made possible through legislation signed in 2022 and grant funding from SDA allocations.

The state Department of Education did not say when districts would receive their award letters detailing what requests had been approved.

According to state authorities, $350 million of the $450 million will come from the state's Debt Defeasance and Prevention Fund, which was formed two years ago to assist in paying down existing debt and avoid accruing new debt by funding projects outright rather than incurring new borrowing.

“This move is expected to save the state and taxpayers roughly $350 million in total as opposed to issuing 30-year bonds at current interest rates,” officials said in a news release.

In addition to the $449.9 million in state funding, local contributions totaling $598.5 million are estimated to bring the total cost of construction to more than $1 billion.

“This funding is part of a state and local partnership that will invest in hundreds of school projects while saving a significant amount of taxpayer dollars,” Gov. Phil Murphy said.

This article contains reporting from Patch's Eric Kiefer.