The Board Of Education (BOE) has hired a grant writing firm to help the district lessen the burden on taxpayers by finding funds from outside organizations and agencies.
At the October 7th BOE meeting, the Board voted on and approved the school district contract with Millennium Strategies, LLC (link) out of Caldwell, New Jersey, to provide grant writing services at a$1,000/month retainer with a $75/hour rate for grant writing effective November 1, 2014 through June 30, 2015. The list of clients service by the firm include AvalonBay Communities, Essex County Vocational Technical Schools, Fairview Board of Education, Golden Door Charter School, Linden Board of Education, over a dozen municipalities, according to their website.
The $8,000 basic retainer for the remainder 0f the school year will allow for 160 hours of grant writing from the remaining $12,000.00 since the Board capped the budget for the agreement at $20,000. It was not determined if that amount was specified in the contract or if it will be included as an amendment.
Millennium Strategies was one of three grant writing firms that presented their services to the Board earlier this year. The expectation is that the grant writing will bring in funds to not only pay for the agreement with Millennium Strategies but to also lessen the burden of taxes paid by property owners in Roselle Park.
At the November 4th BOE, School Superintendent Pedro Garrido stated that the first step will be to have faculty and administration submit a ‘wish list’ in order to begin to prioritize possible projects to look for grants that can either fund or contribute to their cost. An organizational chart will be created as well to establish protocol. Mr. Garrido also stated that grants could be available for PTOs/PTAs/PTSAs (Parent-Teacher Organizations/Associations) through Millennium Strategies.