Essay contest winners, local officials to speak
By: Vanessa S. Holt
BORDENTOWN TOWNSHIP Students who will attend the new Bordentown Regional High School (BRHS), expected to open in 2005, will take part in the groundbreaking ceremony on June 7, reading essays they wrote for the occasion and even putting ceremonial shovels in the ground at the site on Ward Avenue.
The ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. on June 7, at the future site of the school at Ward Avenue and Hogback Road.
Two sixth-grade winners of an essay contest, "Why I Look Forward to Coming to the New High School," from Clara Barton Elementary School in Bordentown City and from Peter Muschal Elementary School in Bordentown Township, will read their winning papers. The winners have not yet been announced, said school officials. Students from each school will take up shovels at the ceremony.
Sixth-, seventh- and eighth-
grade students from New Hanover also were invited to participate in the program, as New Hanover students attend high school in the Bordentown Regional School District.
"This is a landmark event for the school district and we want to invite everyone to this celebration," said Superintendent John Polomano. "This is the first (new) building in about 40 years in the district and it marks another significant date in public education in our community," he said. The existing high school on Dunns Mill Road opened in 1965.
The program, organized by members of the BRHS Student Council, will also feature remarks from school board President Joann Dansbury, state Assemblyman Joe Malone (R-
30th), and high school Principal Fred D’Antoni. The mayors of the three sending districts, George Chidley of Bordentown Township, Bill Collom of Bordentown City, and Ed "Buddy" Tyler of Fieldsboro also have been invited and asked to speak, said Mr. Polomano.
Following the ceremony, a reception will be held at Peter Muschal Elementary School, directly across the street on Ward Avenue.
Mr. Polomano said attendees may bring a lounge or beach chair for comfort. There is no rain date for the event. In the event of bad weather, the ceremony will take place in the Peter Muschal multipurpose room and the groundbreaking will still take place on site.
The school district anticipates that enrollment will grow from 2,100 to more than 2,500 students within the next three years and it formed a task force in 2000 to review strategies to address the enrollment increase.
Following the recommendations of the task force, the school board authorized a $47 million bond referendum that was held in March 2002. The referendum included close to $10 million provided by the state.
Voters approved the referendum last year. It includes funds both for construction of a new high school and for improvements to the four existing school buildings. The current high school building will become a middle school building when the new school opens, serving grades six through eight.
For more information, the district Web site can be accessed at www.bordentown.k12.nj.us.

