District plans referendum for school needs

The parking situation outside of the building is a reflection of what is taking place inside, said Dr. Riley

By: Lea Kahn
   Faced with growing enrollments and new state standards for facilities, school district officials are gearing up for a school bond referendum.
   But what form that referendum might take — whether to build a new school or construct additions to some or all of the seven school buildings — has not been decided.
   The Board of Education plans to meet next month to discuss the alternatives, said Max Riley, superintendent of schools. The school board’s Enrollment and Facilities Committee is studying possible solutions now.
   While a date for a referendum has not been set, Dr. Riley said the next 12 months will be "eventful."
   The recent clamor over parking for high school students is one indication of the overcrowding at Lawrence High School, Dr. Riley said. The parking situation outside of the building is a reflection of what is taking place inside, he said.
   Based on new state standards, there are 560 more students enrolled at Lawrence High School than the school could accommodate, Dr. Riley said. That number is contained in the state-mandated Long Range Facility Plan, which is required of all school districts and must be submitted in order to gain state approval of construction or renovation projects.
   Lawrence High School had an enrollment of 1,391 students when school opened two weeks ago. Of that number, 282 students live in Washington Township. That township sends its high school students to Lawrence High School. The two school districts have taken steps to dissolve the sending-receiving relationship.
   The overcrowding at the high school is showing up in many ways, he said. The cafeteria cannot feed all of the students at once. There are inadequate bathroom facilities, and the hallways and stairwells are crowded, he said.
   At the Lawrence Intermediate School on Eggerts Crossing Road, there are 300 more students enrolled than state standards permit, Dr. Riley said. There are 950 students in a building designed to accommodate about 600 children, he said. The school enrolls students in grades 4-6.
   "That is way too big for an elementary school," Dr. Riley said. "That’s not right. An elementary school that size is not good for learning, especially for children who already have difficulty learning. The facilities plan, when it is announced before the school board, has to take into account the intermediate school."
   There is no room to build more classrooms at LIS — and even if there was enough room, it would not be a good idea, Dr. Riley said. The maximum ideal enrollment for an elementary school is about 400 or 500 students, he said.
   At the Slackwood Elementary School, the school board agreed last week to create an additional kindergarten class by moving the school library into the basement. Half of the original library space already is being used for classroom space, and the board’s action means the rest of that space would be used for an additional classroom.
   The choice at the Slackwood Elementary School was to use either the music room or the art room for the additional classroom, or to move the library into the basement — none of which were good choices, Dr. Riley said.
   "We are down to the point when, as a town, we will have to do something," Dr. Riley said. "In one sense, you can break it into two categories. The school board will have to decide whether the facilities plan will focus on buying land and constructing a new school or, in the alternative, reconfigure what exists with additions."
   Once the Enrollment and Facilities Committee reaches its decision, officials will make that announcement to the community, Dr. Riley said. Students, parents, staff and residents will be asked for their input, he said.
   "Once the community understands what is there and the choices educators face, I’m sure they will step forward and support it. We saw that in the passage of the second question," Dr. Riley said.
   At the annual school board election in April, voters were asked to approve the tax levy to support the 2000-01 budget and to approve a second question seeking $475,000 to make playground improvements. Both questions were approved by voters.