Nearly $1M in state money to lock up student phones — and Newark gets the most

💰 New Jersey awarded nearly $1 million in grants to help schools enforce phone-free learning.

🏫 Newark Public Schools and city charter schools got more than 22% of the total funds, out of 86 grants.

📱 State officials say funding is to lock away student phones from bell-to-bell, and to train staff.

New Jersey has released almost a million dollars in phone-free grants for dozens of schools, with over 22% of the money going to the state’s largest school district.

State education officials on Thursday announced $980,000 in a total of 86 grants, awarded to 71 school districts and 15 charter schools around New Jersey.

Newark Public Schools receives largest phone-free grant

Newark public schools received a massive grant totaling $176,625.08. The Essex County district serves more than 35,000 students enrolled in 65 schools.

The next largest single grant was about a third of that amount.

Trenton public schools received $55,573.44. The Mercer County district has more than 15,000 students enrolled at 25 schools.

Newark charter schools receive additional funding

Newark also has 20 public charter schools, serving another 14,000 students in the city.

Four of Newark’s charters received their own phone-free grants — for an additional, collective $39,880.38.

These grants are meant to support schools in carrying out a “bell-to-bell” policy for students in grades 6-12, consistent with state guidelines.

Grants support bell-to-bell phone-free school policies

That means students’ cell phones and other internet-enabled devices are securely stored after arriving at school — access is not allowed during the entire day.

Participating districts received funds to purchase and install storage systems such as lockers, locked pouch systems, or check-in cabinets.

Districts may also use the grant money to provide staff training on the updated bell-to-bell policies, state officials said.

Money was allocated in the state budget signed by Gov. Phil Murphy in June, state education officials previously confirmed to New Jersey 101.5.

A $3 million incentive grant program to "support school districts interested in transitioning to phone-free learning environments" was a line item on page 86 of the spending plan.

Additional rounds of grants would be announced to expand the program, state education officials said on Thursday.

Read More: How New Jersey is taking on child and teen social media use 

The grants were awarded on a per-pupil basis for grades 6-12, with no district receiving less than $1,000,
state education officials said to New Jersey 101.5.

When the program opened in October, the state said the size of each grant would depend on how many school districts applied.

“The findings from the Growing Up Online report underscore why this initiative matters, including rising concerns about social media’s impact on adolescent mental health, sleep disruption, cyberbullying, and declining academic focus,” Education Commissioner Kevin Dehmer said, referencing a recent report by a state commission on the effects of social media usage on adolescents.

A full list of participating districts was available on the education department website, and is broken down by county, below:

Atlantic County phone-free grants

Absecon Public Schools District $2,499.80
Egg Harbor Township School District $32,513.74
Pleasantville Public School District $15,220.18

Bergen County phone-free grants

Alpine School District $1,000.00
Englewood Public School District $12,910.48
Ramsey School District $10,730.80
Wallington Boro School District $5,015.22
Garfield Charter - Bergen Arts and Science Charter School $5,489.02

Burlington County phone-free grants

Florence Township School District $6,875.64
Pemberton Township School District $14,991.50
Springfield Township School District $1,000.00
Willingboro Public School District $14,323.38

Camden County phone-free grants

Black Horse Pike Regional School District $27,961.44
Gloucester City Public School District $10,823.52
KIPP: Cooper Norcross, A New Jersey Nonprofit Corporation $10,820.00
Sterling Regional School District $6,872.32

Cape May County phone-free grants

Ocean City School District $10,290.38

Cumberland County phone-free grants

Cumberland Regional School District $9,950.00
Deerfield Township School District $1,000.00

Essex County phone-free grants

East Orange School District $36,651.12
Essex Regional Educational Services Commission $1,000.00
Irvington Public School District $27,928.40
Newark Public School District $176,625.08
Newark Charter - Team Academy Charter School $24,752.62
Newark Charter - Great Oaks Legacy Charter School $9,022.78
Newark Charter - Gateway Academy Charter School $4,367.16
Newark Charter - Maria L. Varisco-Rogers Charter School $1,490.44
Orange Public Schools $23,469.10
South Orange-Maplewood School District $28,257.02

Gloucester County phone-free grants

Clayton Public School District $5,984.92
Glassboro School District $7,971.32
Logan Township School District $2,074.34
Paulsboro School District $5,342.60

Hudson County phone-free grants

Jersey City Charter -Empowerment Academy Charter School $5,769.46
Jersey City Charter Golden Door Charter School $1,426.32
Jersey City Global Charter School $1,000.00
Hoboken Charter School $1,322.16
Kearney Charter -Hudson Arts and Science Charter School $3,061.00
Guttenberg School District $2,723.42
Harrison Public Schools $10,633.30
Union City School District $52,451.18
Weehawken Public School District $5,630.00

Hunterdon County phone-free grants

Bethlehem Township School District $1,000.00
Bloomsbury Borough School District $1,000.00
Frenchtown Borough School District $1,000.00

Mercer County phone-free grants

Trenton Public School District $55,573.44
Hamilton Charter - Thrive Charter School $2,876.00
Hamilton Charter - Pace Charter School $1,201.96

Middlesex County phone-free grants

Carteret Public School District $17,028.14
South Amboy School District $5,286.72

Monmouth County phone-free grants

Asbury Park School District $5,156.96
Belmar Elementary School District $1,000.00

Morris County phone-free grants

Chester Township School District $2,696.84
Hanover Park Regional High School District $10,046.46
Hanover Township School District $3,280.00
Kinnelon School District $6,988.18
Mendham Borough School District $1,282.54

Ocean County phone-free grants

Central Regional School District $17,208.26
Pinelands Regional School District $12,624.88
Tuckerton Borough School District $1,000.00

Passaic County phone-free grants

Hawthorne Public School District $8,753.46
Lakeland Regional High School District $6,691.98
West Milford Township Public School District $13,094.62
Passaic Arts and Science Charter School $9,487.54
Paterson Arts and Science Charter School $5,232.58
Paterson Charter School for Science and Technology $7,308.00

Salem County phone-free grants

Alloway Township School District $1,000.00
Mannington Township School District $1,000.00
The Lower Alloways Creek School District $1,000.00
Penns Grove-Carney's Point Regional School District $9,271.32
Salem City School District $5,570.72
Upper Pittsgrove Township School District $1,000.00
Woodstown-Pilesgrove Regional School District $6,892.62

Somerset County phone-free grants

Warren Township School District $4,384.98

Sussex County phone-free grants

Andover Regional School District $1,203.88
Frankford Township Consolidated School District $1,246.92
Hampton Township School District $1,000.00
Kittatinny Regional School District $5,686.00
Lenape Valley Regional High School District $5,520.22
Montague Township School District $1,000.00
Sandyston-Walpack Consolidated School District $1,000.00

Union County phone-free grants

Hillside Public School District $12,359.60
Plainfield Public School District $34,337.56
Roselle Public School District $13,937.70
Township of Union School District $33,747.70

Warren County phone-free grants

Belvidere School District $3,176.64

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