MONROE, Conn. — A District Repair and Improvement Project (DRIP) grant will be used to help fund the replacement of a burner and boiler at Jockey Hollow Middle School.
Superintendant Joseph Kobza told Board of Education members the $152,027 grant is from the Connecticut Office of Policy and Management (OPM) during their meeting Monday night.
The state funding will be combined with money from a $212,000 transfer the Board of Finance made to the Capital Reserve Fund at the end of last fiscal year, according to Finance Director Ronald Bunovsky Jr. He said most of those funds were earmarked for this project.
Kobza said the district does not have to report back to the state about the completion of the project until September 1, 2027.
The superintendent said DRIP grants are for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026 and can be used for construction, renovation, repairs or enlargement, including work on parking lots, athletic fields and playgrounds, as well as for HVAC, plumbing and heating.
OPM determines how much money to allocate for each school district and certification for a project — approved by a public school operator, which is the Board of Education — must be submitted to receive the funds, according to Kobza.
Vice Chair Christine Cascella asked how the agency determines the amount of funding for each district.
Bunovsky said 50 percent weight is given to the proportion of student needs in the district, 20 percent weight is an evenly distributed amount among the districts ($25,000), and 30 percent is based on the district’s wealth.
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