Congressman Andrews Announces Nearly $1 Million Dollars for South Jersey Teaching Jobs

Washington, D.C. – On Monday, Congressman Andrews announced that his district will receive $968,320 in federal funds to help create and retain teaching jobs. These funds are in addition to the $30 million South Jersey received in 2010 and will help keep existing teachers, rehire teachers that have been laid off, and hire more new teachers. Overall, these additional funds will help to create or maintain another 20 teaching jobs on top of the almost 500 jobs that were created or saved by the initial package.

This boost in federal aid is part of a $262 million grant passed by Congress in 2010, and supported by Congressman Andrews. Of those funds, $5.2 million (2%) had been allocated for administration costs as is the case with any education grant. However, through efficient administration, the NJ Department of Education was able to release surplus funds, in which $968k went to South Jersey. These additional funds will help school districts make ends meet at a time when our struggling economy has forced them to tightening their budgets. These federal dollars will go towards salaries and benefits for teachers and staff, allowing South Jersey schools to hire more teachers who will help support programs and activities that may otherwise have to be cut in order to meet budget needs.

“I am pleased to announce this additional funding to create jobs in South Jersey, especially jobs in education,” said Congressman Andrews. “America’s strength comes from its citizens, and I will keep working to make sure that our children get the education they need to be strong citizens themselves. Furthermore, this is an excellent example of how increased government efficiency actually plays a part in everyday lives. In this case, it led to more teachers and education improvements for our schools.”

As a member of the Education & Workforce Committee, Congressman Andrews will continue to provide his leading support in favor of education programs that create quality teaching jobs while providing students with the resources needed to succeed in school and achieve their full potential. 

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