Newark Schools Could Lose Out on $30 Million in Funding Thursday

Newark schools superintendent Cami Anderson issued a last-minute plea Thursday morning to the head of the city's teachers union, urging him to sign onto an application for $30 million in federal funds before the deadline expires today.

“A train leaves at noon from Newark to Washington, DC,” a district spokesman, Matthew Frankel, said around 10 am. “Our hope is to literally hand-deliver the application to the Department of Education by 4 pm today.”

At issue is an application for federal “Race to the Top” funds, a competitive grant program. The application cannot be submitted until the head of the city’s teacher’s union, Joseph Del Grosso, also signs off.

Del Grosso has refused to sign, however, because he claims the grant would provide little funding directly benefitting students in the classroom and because he was not consulted until just a few days ago, Del Grosso told NJ.com. Frankel, however, said the application seeks funds for literacy programs and that the district tried to meet Del Grosso several times.   

In an email sent out by Anderson Thursday morning, a copy of which was also forwarded to Patch, the superintendent urges the public to prevail upon Del Grosso to sign the application before noon Thursday.