It is with great sadness that I write that for the first time in 24 years as an Allentown/Upper Freehold resident that I and many others will not be supporting the school budget. The recent push by the Board of Education for a completely off-site (any off-site) middle school with no ability for cost sharing and efficiencies of the present school is a recipe for spiraling high taxes.
To add insult to injury, their latest preferred site on Walnford Road is certain to cost more to the taxpayer. Currently almost all of the children from Allentown can walk to school. The new site is out in the middle of nowhere — all but possibly four children will need to be bused. This will cause new buses to be purchased, bus drivers to be hired, fuel and maintenance costs to double. The site is on wetlands — no developer will buy it because it will not perk, yet our board is willing to develop a huge sewage system that we, as taxpayers, will have to maintain. There is also no city water (site too far from Allentown) available, so again, it’s the taxpayers’ ongoing cost. It is also the only site out of the 10 investigated that is around the corner from a Superfund site. But I guess they are not concerned about putting our children there. The land is cheaper and the owner wants to sell. I wonder why?
A separate campus away from Allentown would duplicate office space, computer labs, sports fields, library and gym facilities, office and administrative personnel, maintenance and cafeteria functions. There would be no effective sharing of crossing guards, grounds staff, teachers’ aides, teachers, snow removal, bus aides or buses. Construction and acquisition costs are one-time amounts; operating/ongoing costs are forever.
Is this smart growth? Or is it a quick way to railroad a school before the residents realize the true ongoing cost of such an ill-advised plan?
Often there is a division of old vs. new residents in a growing community such as ours, but one thing is constant: new or old, we were all attracted to the quality of life of this rural community. It is a community of small-town values, rural countryside and affordable lifestyle. Have we learned nothing from our neighbors in Washington Township? As they build their new school, their taxes spiral out of control and for-sale signs go up. We have the opportunity to learn from their mistakes.
If this was a college campus, would we locate a new campus completely separate from our main campus, or effectively maximize our present site — possibly expanding recreational fields as needed in another location? The current trend today is to keep K-8 together for all the efficiencies noted above, not duplicate expensive services in a completely new location.
I urge all residents of our community to send a strong message to our school officials and Board of Education. Give us a plan to expand our facilities that we as taxpayers can support. Go back to the drawing board. We need a plan that we can vote for in November without compromising the quality of life of the borough and township residents.
Krystal Odell
member
Citizens Advisory Group for Smart Growth in Allentown/Upper Freehold Regional School District
Upper Freehold