FEMA Public Assistance Funding for the New York City Department of Education
Release Date: October 22, 2002
Release Number: 1391-161a
The Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Public Assistance program can provide federal funds to eligible applicants - such as the New York City Department of Education (DoE) - for the repair or restoration of facilities as well as for the costs of debris removal and emergency protective measures necessitated by damage resulting from a president-declared disaster.
Formal requests for funding must come in the form of Project Worksheets submitted by the New York City OMB according to guidelines established by New York City and the New York City Office of Emergency Management (OEM). The status of these requests is as follows:
As of October 22, 2002, FEMA Public Assistance has approved requests from the New York City Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to fund DoE for projects totaling approximately $94.2 million.
Specific amounts covered in this grant total are detailed below.
Air Monitoring and Cleaning
- FEMA has funded $6 million in reimbursements for repairs, cleanup and asbestos abatement of schools near Ground Zero. FEMA has also approved $2.9 million to reimburse expenses associated with air monitoring and air testing.
Lost Instructional Time
- FEMA has approved a grant for approximately $80 million that would provide approximately 890,000 students with 15 hours of additional instructional time and 8,900 students attending schools most impacted by the disaster with 30 hours of additional instructional time. FEMA based the grant amount on cost data provided by DoE for teachers, paraprofessionals, supervisors, custodians, security personnel, supplies, snacks, and transportation.
Transportation Costs
- FEMA has reimbursed DoE $2.65 million to cover costs associated with emergency bus service and costs resulting from additional routes added due for students impacted by the disaster.
- FEMA has determined that DoE's request for $1.97 million to cover the cost of bus service not used due to the cancellation of classes on September 12 to be ineligible for public assistance since this cost did not represent an expense over or above the budgeted costs.
Loss of Perishable Food
- FEMA reimbursed DoE $307,000 for emergency meals and loss of perishable foods resulting from the temporary closing of schools immediately after the WTC attack.
Loss of Revenue Due to Lower Lunch Sales
- FEMA has determined that DoE's request for $3 million to cover lost revenues related to lower lunch sales is not eligible for reimbursement under the Public Assistance program.
High School of Economics and Finance; High School for Leadership and Public Services
- FEMA has approved $851,388 for reimbursement of a security camera and air monitoring. Additional costs associated with the buildings that house these schools were submitted for reimbursement by NYU, who has legal responsibility for the buildings.
Textbooks
- FEMA has approved $716,185 to reimburse the cost of textbooks for students displaced by the disaster.
Relocation of Students
- FEMA has reimbursed $500,000 for the relocation of students from the most impacted schools to attend classes at other schools immediately following the WTC attack.
Supplies and Equipment
- FEMA has reimbursed over $80,000 for replacement of supplies and equipment damaged because of the disaster.
- FEMA has determined that $8,150 of consumable supplies used by Stuyvesant High School students while they were relocated to Brooklyn Tech is ineligible as these supplies would have been used whether the students remained in their original school building or relocated. In addition, FEMA has determined that $31,037 in costs associated with the loss of electronic audio and video equipment is ineligible as these items were lost or stolen and are not a direct cost associated with eligible disaster work.
Structural/Safety Inspections
- FEMA has approved $19,906 to reimburse costs, including overtime and contract costs, associated with safety inspections conducted by DoE at 16 lower Manhattan schools as an emergency protective measure.
Summary of Crisis Counseling Funding for School Children Through FEMA's Individual Assistance Program
FEMA provided a $22.7 million immediate services crisis counseling grant to the state of New York for Project Liberty through its Individual Assistance program. Of this amount, DoE is budgeted to receive $1.3 million for crisis counseling needs, bringing the total amount received for crisis counseling to approximately $8 million.
DoE has requested an additional $33 million for crisis counseling needs. FEMA is working with DoE, New York State and the New York City Department of Mental Health to clarify needs and prepare a proposal for this request.
Last Modified: Tuesday, 23-Sep-2003 17:00:39