Upper Freehold superintendent will present the school board’s $18 million plan to the Strategic Planning Council at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
By: Mark Moffa
UPPER FREEHOLD Superintendent Robert Connelly will present the school board’s $18 million expansion plan to the Strategic Planning Council at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 5, in the elementary school’s media center.
The meeting, which is open to the public, is intended to update the group on the school board’s progress and to present its plans for additions onto Allentown High School and renovations at the Upper Freehold Regional Elementary School.
The 50-member planning council, composed of teachers, parents, and administrators, was formed last year to help the district plan for the future.
The group, which includes representatives from Allentown, Millstone and Upper Freehold, was divided into five focus areas: students, curriculum, facilities, community and finances.
Dr. Connelly said the public’s foremost concern seemed to be with the district’s facilities.
The facilities group concluded the district needed to develop new academic and athletic facilities and upgrade existing facilities. The expansion proposal unveiled earlier this month, estimated to cost $18 million, was the board’s initial response to the group’s requests.
After the council meets Wednesday, the group will split into subcommittees organized by focus area and by building, according to Maybeth Conway, the district’s curriculum director and a member of the planning council.
"We will try to translate the objectives into action-oriented strategies," she said.
Those wishing to participate in the second phase of work will attend a meeting Sept. 11, she said. Ms. Conway added that although the members who were not employed by the district will be invited to participate in this phase, the district’s involvement is now needed.
"Now it’s the school’s job to put together a plan since the community’s input has been received," she said.
The new subcommittees would report their progress to the council’s entire membership.
Each group will have to identify the resources needed to accomplish its goals and will establish a rough timeline, Ms. Conway said. She also said each subcommittee will need to prioritize its goals.
"We already know that we’re going to end up with a list that’s going to be fairly daunting," she said.
Each subcommittee is scheduled to report to the school board in January.
Before meeting with the planning council Wednesday, Dr. Connelly will attend a special school board meeting tonight, Thursday, at 7:15 p.m. in the district offices.
Dr. Connelly said no action will be taken on the proposed additions tonight, although some action on personnel items may be needed.
Board member John Dawkins tonight is scheduled to report on his meeting with the board’s architect. Bond counsel also is slated to attend, and the board may discuss the project’s potential impact on taxes within the district.
On Thursday, Sept. 6, the day after Dr. Connelly’s presentation to the planning council, the school board will meet in the district offices at 7:15 p.m. The board hopes to approve the expansion plans at that meeting so they can be sent to the state the next day.
Sept. 7 is the state’s deadline to have a project included on a ballot for a special referendum on Dec. 11. Voters must approve the district’s plans at that time.
The school board could receive funding from the state for up to 40 percent of the proposed expansion costs. The board estimates it will receive $5.5 million from the state, leaving $12.5 million to be funded by local taxpayers.