The city’s struggling public schools have been issued a $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education under the Turnaround School Leaders Program. The grant money is to go towards preparing leaders to reform struggling city schools.

The program which falls under the School Improvement Grants (SIG) program seeks to “supports projects to develop and implement or enhance and implement a leadership pipeline that selects, prepares, places, supports, and retains school leaders.”

“Effective leaders who are trained to lead turnaround efforts in the lowest-performing schools are essential to improving student outcomes,” said education secretary Arne Duncan. “These grants will provide the resources for states and districts to select, train and place great leaders in the schools – and with the students – that need them the most.”

The school system can use the funds to not only train individual leaders but also prepare leadership teams to turn around failing schools.

The city’s school system was one of 12 recipients throughout the country to receive the grant award. The department awarded $20 million in grant money to various institutions throughout the country.

The city’s school system was the sole recipient of the award in New Jersey.