Assemblymen Sean T. Kean (District 30) will hold a local public session today, Thursday, October 8 at 2:00 p.m. at his Lakewood legislative office, 1771 Madison Avenue, Suite 202, Lakewood, to provide information and guidelines that will help nonpublic school administrators secure funding for security services, equipment, and technology to ensure a safe and secure school environment for nonpublic school children, elementary through grade 12.
State aid for this purpose has been made available from the State of New Jersey, Department of Education, through the Nonpublic Security Aid Program FY2016.
The New Jersey Nonpublic Security Aid Program is appropriating State aid to public school districts to allocate to nonpublic schools $25.00 per pupil times the number of nonpublic school students within the school district. Consultation with the nonpublic schools is required to discuss and agree on the security services, equipment and technology to be purchased. Consultations must be completed by the end of October.
The board of education in each N.J. public school district with nonpublic schools within its boundaries is responsible for providing security services, equipment, and technology to the nonpublic schools within the limits of the funds provided by this program.
Examples of such services, equipment, and technology may include alarm services, video surveillance systems, ID cards, installation of bullet resistant glazing, and access control systems for remote locking and unlocking, among others.
Such security services, equipment, and technology may be provided directly by the board of education, by contracts with an educational service commission or an independent contractor. All security services, equipment and technology provided under this program must be used for secular, non-religious and non-ideological purposes.
Assemblyman Kean feels it is important that nonpublic schools receive funding to provide for student safety and security measures. “With new school security procedures and advances in technology, we can provide increased protection that includes all our children.”
The Department has developed new program guidelines, including a listing of allowable expenses, available on the nonpublic school programs at http://www.nj.gov/education/nonpublic/ state/ security.htm. A timeline for implementation is also available.
For questions or more information about this program, contact Kate Gamberg, chief of staff, office of Assemblyman Sean Kean, at 732-974-0400.
[TLS]
“…All security services, equipment and technology provided under this program must be used for secular, non-religious and non-ideological purposes…”
Does this statement exclude most of the private schools in Lakewood?
No it does not. Securing a student is condiderrd non secterian. The language only precludes the equipment being used directly for a religuous purpose. You could not use the security cameras to broadcast a religious lesson but there is notjing wrong with uding the cameras to monitor a group for safety