Newark BoE refunds $33,000 for “Fun Day”

The Newark Board of Education has approved a refund of over $33,000 in state aid spent on a “Fun Day” for staff and their children, following a review by the Department of Education. Jamar Purnsley, director of the Office of Accountability and Compliance, stated that the event “did not align with the specific education or organizational goals required for events funded through public sources.” District leadership deemed the June event, which included various recreational activities, to lack academic value and proper oversight. The state found that the spending violated fiscal accountability statutes, leading to the decision to refund 76% of the event’s total cost. Board members discussed the implications of the findings and the need for a corrective action plan, with some questioning the event’s future. Board President Hasani Council defended the event’s morale-boosting value, emphasizing the district’s long-standing underfunding issues.