7-30-2022 1:24pm

NJs $305 Million Investment in CTE Education

Another new bill was signed into law in New Jersey!

Yesterday Governor Murphy signed bills A4224/S2830 and A4225/S2831
into law, awarding school districts and county colleges a second round of grant funding through the Securing Our Children’s Future Bond Act (SOCFBA).

The grants will fund improvements to and enhancements of career and technical education (CTE) programs in county vocational-technical school districts (CVSD) and county colleges throughout the State. Funds can be used to expand CTE program enrollment through constructing and/or expanding classrooms, laboratories, libraries, computer facilities, and other academic structures.

The second round of grants will total nearly $57 million and be distributed by the New Jersey Department of Education (DOE) and the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education (OSHE). Funds will be disbursed on a rolling basis contingent on final grant revisions and recipient submission of reimbursement requests.

With this newest round of funding, the State has awarded over $305 million in funds to support CTE education projects. The first round of grant funding for CVSDs and county colleges totaled nearly $250 million and was awarded last summer.

The Securing Our Children’s Future Bond Act (SOCFBA) is supported by $500 million in bonds approved by New Jersey voters in November 2018 to expand county college and vocational school CTE programs, enhance K-12 security, and support water infrastructure improvements in New Jersey schools.

A4224/S2830 appropriates $19,993,837 for County College CTE projects. The SOCFBA allocated funds for county colleges to construct or expand classrooms, laboratories, libraries, computer facilities, and other academic structures to increase CTE program capacity.

The second round of SOCFBA will fund six projects in relation to A4224:

Camden County College - $4,000,000
Essex County College - $4,000,000
Passaic County College - $3,381,337
Raritan Valley Community College – $4,000,000
Rowan College of South Jersey - $3,750,000
Sussex County Community College - $862,5000

A4225/S2831 appropriates $36,960,028 for County Vocational School District CTE projects. The SOCFBA allocated funds for construction projects that support CTE program expansion for County Vocational School Districts, in accordance with labor market demands and economic development goals. These projects will fund renovation and new construction to increase student capacity in select county vocational CTE programs, including related demolition, site improvements and physical plant upgrades, and furniture and equipment in renovated, reassigned, or new CTE-focused education spaces.

Applicants were required to demonstrate that new student seats would be in county vocational CTE programs that prepare students for high-demand, technically skilled careers.

The second round of SOCFBA will fund six projects in relation to A4225: