The American Rescue Plan (ARP), aka, the COVID-19 relief bill, which was approved by Congress and signed into law by President Joseph Biden, will be a significant help to Woodland Park. How, you ask?

The Borough is scheduled to receive $1,236,000 to assist us with lost revenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic last year (lost court fines, construction permits, etc.) as well as assisting with additional COVID-19 related costs. These funds will also support our volunteer Fire Department and First Aid Squad who have all but lost their ability to fundraise over the last year.

The Woodland Park School District is slated to receive $2,156,000 to prepare our local school buildings for re-opening and to get back to 100% in-person student occupancy. The health and safety of our students and staff must be the number one priority in reopening our schools.

Passaic Valley Regional High School, a building built in 1941 (it's their 80th anniversary this year) will receive $1,475,000 to also ensure their school is ready to re-open for our high school student population.

Other areas of the Bill are that it continues unemployment benefits (one-third of Woodland Park’s population has applied for unemployment in the last 12 months); it is providing stimulus checks to help our families pay their rent, mortgages and buy essentials; it offers much-needed support for our small business community who has been hard hit; and it will provide more opportunities for testing and vaccinations (which has been a challenge due to the need for more supply).

The ARP is not “pork.”  It’s support that, without it, would have resulted in a weakened economy, higher local property taxes and prevented our kids from getting back in their classrooms sooner rather than later.

It’s needed and a huge step back to normal.