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ASSEMBLY APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE ANNOUNCES HEARING TO EXPLORE $400 MILLION ERROR

Top to Bottom Administration Officials Will Be Called to Explain Gaffe

Assembly Speaker Sheila Y. Oliver today announced that Assembly Appropriations Committee Chair Nellie Pou will hold a hearing to explore the glaring misstep in New Jersey’s application for the federal “Race to the Top” program, which cost the state roughly $400 million in education funding.

“With nearly half of a billion dollars lost because of human error, this hearing is an absolute must,” said Oliver (D-Essex/Passaic). “The state, our taxpayers, and most of all our children deserve answers from the administration as to how such an egregious blunder could have been overlooked with so much as stake.”

“It’s imperative that we get to the bottom of this so that we can avoid any future mistakes if we are fortunate enough to have the chance to apply for round three next year,” said Pou (D-Bergen/Passaic). “We intend to request the presence of everyone within the administration who had their hands on this application, from Commissioner Schundler on down. It’s our hope that this hearing will deliver answers and demand accountability.”

The date and time of the hearing will be announced shortly.