By: Carl Reader
LAMBERTVILLE Now that the $6.9 million school budget has been passed, South Hunterdon High School can proceed with plans for building repairs to help get the school back in shape.
The 2002-2003 budget that voters approved April 16 contained some, but not all, of the money needed to address a backlog of repairs that must be made to bring the building into compliance with state safety regulations. These projects include a new roof, repairs to the fire alarm system and a new boiler.
"Now we have that extra $500,000," Superintendent of School Cheryl Simone said. "Of course, it’s earmarked for a lot of different projects so we’ll go to the Buildings and Grounds Committee.
Dr. Simone said once contractors submit their bids for the various projects, the board’s Building and Grounds Committee will review that information and make recommendations on how to proceed.
After the voters twice rejected bond referendums to repair and improve the school, the repairs mandated by state safety and health regulations still had to be funded. Now these projects must be completed in a piecemeal fashion funded on a yearly basis in the school budget.
Dr. Simone said the school board will reorganize at its May 2 meeting at which time committees will be formed. After the committees are in place, decisions can be made on which projects should be given priority based on the $500,000 available.
"We need to look at the roof, but, of course, the roof is a major project that is way beyond the $500,000," Dr. Simone said. "We’re looking at a fire alarm system. We’re looking at replacing the boiler, and if we can get one other project out of that, we’re going to try to do that.
"For the fire alarm alone, the last estimate we got was $160,000," Dr. Simone said.
If the district proceeds with the fire alarm project, that would leave $340,000 available for other repair projects.
"It depends on who’s out there who can do this (the fire alarm) job," Dr. Simone said. "There aren’t a whole lot of companies out there that can do this job. Because we’re small, we don’t get the large companies to come and do it."
So with all the factors involved, how the money will be spent and when is still up in the air.
"I’m not sure yet," Dr. Simone. "I think the board really has to make some decisions about what they want to do."
But at least now the school board has some room to maneuver and some money to pay for the improvements. Other school boards don’t have that luxury.
"I’m just thrilled that our budget passed," Dr. Simone said. "So many budgets went down in Hunterdon County. Only two of the four in the district passed, and a lot of the elementary school budgets failed. Thirteen budgets went down. That’s a lot."
Among the high school districts in Hunterdon, only South Hunterdon and North Hunterdon had school budgets passed. Hunterdon Central and Delaware Valley budgets were defeated. In this area, only Delaware Township School’s budget was rejected among the elementary and middle schools.
"There’s a lot of work ahead of everybody here," Dr. Simone said.
