MIDDLESEX TWP — Holy Sepulcher School is eligible for federal money for students relocated after Hurricane Katrina, but the deadline for the paperwork is tight.

The deadline to apply is the end of business today.

Holy Sepulcher has three students eligible for money from the Emergency Impact Aid for Displaced Program. The program allows $1,500 per quarter per student, a total of $18,000 to the school.

The students have been enrolled since the beginning of the school year.

While they have not been charged by the diocese, their cost would have been about $7,500. This does not include other expenses, including transportation.

While the school cannot get more from the government than it costs to educate the students, Holy Sepulcher expects to get the full $18,000, a spokeswoman said.

The state Department of Education notified school districts of the program and deadline Friday.

Michael Storm, department spokesman, said the department worked as fast as possible to get the information prepared and distributed. The state, he said,

received

the information only four days earlier.

Jackie Delaney, principal at Holy Sepulcher, wasn't aware that the school was eligible for the $18,000 when contacted Monday.

Assistant superintendent for public policy and development at the Diocese, Ronald Bowes, said

he will do his best to get the forms through to the education department by today. The only problem he could foresee is getting the required parental signature.

"No school needs to worry about receiving reimbursement even if it is a little late," Storm said. He said schools should return the forms as soon as possible.

Once the paperwork reaches the department of education, the state submits the data to the federal government. The federal government will disburse the money to the state, who will send it to the public school district. If money goes to private schools within the district, the public school district is responsible to give the

private school

money, Storm said.

The private school returns the money to the parents if they paid tuition or uses it as a reimbursement if tuition was waived.

Holy Sepulcher is the only school in the county with students who have relocated because of Hurricanes Katrina or Rita.

The three students at Holy Sepulcher are a family displaced by Katrina, Delaney said.