Transcript Of Governor Christie’s Opening Remarks Continues
In addition the administration approached David Tepper of the B4Kids organization to be the lead private funder for this organization to bridge them through this difficult time. Mr. Tepper has agreed to do so and so through his B4Kids organization, and so New Jersey After 3 will be able to stay open in the way that we envisioned it and continued to urge them to do so both last year and this year during budget cuts which is to let’s go back and be inventive and try to figure out a way to insert the private sector into supporting this program. There are lots of willing funders out there who want to support good educational programs for kids in New Jersey. Mr. Tepper will be one of the obvious examples of that.
And so I want to thank the board at New Jersey After 3 for working with us over the last week in getting this squared away. I want to thank Mr. Tepper for his willingness to step up and be the lead funder for this effort. New Jersey After 3 has identified other funders as well who are willing to come forward now that Mr. Tepper has offered to be the lead funder on this and we’ll continue to work with them to make sure that this goes forward. So today, New Jersey After 3’s doors will not close. They are going to remain open. They have that financial commitment both from us trying to reconfigure our federal funds which we believe we’ll be able to do but also in that interim period while we’re waiting for a decision on our No Child Left Behind waiver a bridge being provided by B4Kids and David Tepper and other funders, private funders, who are supportive of New Jersey After 3 to keep the operation open.
This is the model for what we should be doing for these type of programs across the state during difficult fiscal times. As I’ve said all along, I like the New Jersey After 3 program. In the context of all of the other budget challenges we’re facing it was something we simply couldn’t afford especially when I believe there would be an appetite in the private sector for helping to fund a program like this and to keep it going. These are the types of efforts we have to look to in the future, the kind of efforts we’re going to continue to look for as an administration, and I want to thank all those involved especially Wayne Hasenbalg, my policy chief, who has been leading the effort in this regard to reach an agreement with the After 3 board and to identify the appropriate private funders to come forward and help in this regard and to coordinate the efforts of Commissioner Cerf in terms of our No Child Left behind waiver application and the use of Title I funds for an effective afterschool program which New Jersey After 3 has been adjudged to be by any number of different sources outside this administration including those of us inside the administration as well.
So, I’m happy to be able to announce that this morning. I hope that allays any fears or concerns that folks around the state and down the hall here in the Legislature have about this. You know, we said we were going to approach things differently in this administration. I know that makes some people who are stuck in the old status quo way of doing things uncomfortable. Part of my job is to make people uncomfortable in this job and do things differently given the challenges we have from an economic and fiscal perspective. So, happy that we’re going to do this in a way that’s going to benefit children across New Jersey and keep a good organization running.