Palmyra Board accepts $50,000 AP/IB grant, awards instructional coach contract

The Palmyra Board of Education on Oct. 8 approved acceptance of a $50,000 Advanced Placement/International Baccalaureate (AP/IB) Course Expansion Competitive Grant and authorized a one-year instructional services contract to support curriculum expansion.

The action was taken as part of the board's business, finance and operations agenda. The grant is intended to expand AP/IB course offerings; the board also approved a professional services contract for an Instructional Math Coach, Eric Milou, for the 2025–26 contract period not to exceed $22,050.00. The awards are for the contract period beginning Oct. 9, 2025, and ending June 30, 2026, and will be published in accordance with the Public-School Contracts Law (N.J.S.A. 18A:18A 5(a)(1)).

Why it matters: The grant funding and the instructional coach are targeted at increasing access to advanced coursework and bolstering teacher support for AP and IB classes, which can affect college readiness and curriculum alignment across Palmyra schools.

What the board approved: In addition to accepting the $50,000 competitive grant, the board approved related business actions listed in the agenda, including the Health & Safety Evaluation checklist and the Comprehensive Maintenance Plan and M1 Report for 2025–26, and the acceptance of joint transportation agreements with Burlington County Educational Services Unit for district routing needs.

Implementation and next steps: The grant and contract awards are effective for the 2025–26 school year. The board placed the contracts and notices on file as required by state procurement rules. The minutes do not specify detailed spending allocations from the grant; those implementation details were not included in the agenda text and are therefore not reported here.

Documentation: The acceptance of the grant and the contract award appear on the board's Oct. 8 agenda under Business, Finance and Operations (items 13.02e and 13.02f).