HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — A $277,000 check was donated to help support Hillsborough school sports and extracurricular activities by Senator Andrew Zwicker, Assemblyman Roy Freiman, and Assemblywoman Michelle Drulis.

“The three elected officials are helping to support athletics and extracurricular activities not only during the fall season but throughout the course of the year, said Superintendent Michael Volpe at the Monday night Board of Education meeting. “They have worked very hard for us in order to make sure we have the resources necessary for some of our children this year. Very much appreciated.”

The check was presented to the school board on Monday specifically to help support STEM, marching band, Middle School sports, newspaper, and clubs.

“We are very proud of the education that Hillsborough Township schools deliver to the children and it happens because of the dedication that you all deliver… And also it takes funding to make it happen. And every year it’s a challenge. It’s been a challenge with funding formula,” said Freiman. “We also realize it goes beyond classrooms that the quality of education goes beyond the school day. It happens in the clubs, activities and onto the field. So that’s why we worked very hard to make sure that those kinds of activities can continue with some additional funding.”

Board President Paul Marini thanked the legislatures for the donation but also alluded to the ongoing battle to fix the S2 state school funding formula.

Since the S2 state school funding formula began the Hillsborough School District has lost a cumulative $7 million since the 2018-19 school year. Read More: Middle School Sports Eliminated, Staff Cuts In Hillsborough School Budget

“Thank you we look forward to working with you throughout the year so that we don’t have these conversations at the end of the year,” said Marini. It’s a good ending to the problem but obviously, we want to fix the root cause of it.”