BY JANE MEGGITT
Staff Writer
MILLSTONE — Officials expect to break ground in May for the new middle school.
During the March 14 Board of Education meeting, board members announced they will hold a groundbreaking ceremony from 10 a.m. to noon May 7 on what is commonly known as the Waters property in Millstone.
In December, voters approved a $34.5 million referendum to construct a middle school for grades 5-8 at the former Waters nursery site on Baird Road.
Board member Paula Kinsey said local and state officials, business leaders, district employees and residents will all attend the ceremony. The event should feature speakers and presenters, according to Kinsey, but the board continues to plan the specific agenda.
Schools Superintendent William Setaro said a notice for construction bids will go out on April 27.
Once all contractors have bid, Setaro said it will take two to three weeks for the winning bidder to get trailers on the site. It will take another week or two, he said, to get permits, temporary electric service and other logistical aspects set.
Actual work on the site should start at the end of May, according to Setaro.
Kinsey said the board decided to hold the ceremony on a Saturday in hopes that more people would attend.
Setaro said the ceremony would last about 30 minutes. Afterward, those in attendance will be able to look over site plans, listen to the school band perform and enjoy some refreshments.
Since the board will not set a rain date, an alternative site or tent may house the ceremony in the event of inclement weather.
Setaro called the groundbreaking dedication “a kind of congratulations to people who worked so hard to pass the referendum.”
“Three or four years ago, they started the path together,” Setaro said. “Now we’ll have a shovel in the ground.”
Longtime board member Patricia Coffey, who will leave her position in April, said the board will plan a bigger ceremony once the construction of the new school building is completed in 2007.
Setaro said he would like to have a ribbon-cutting ceremony about a month after the building opens. He also hopes that once students acclimate to their new surroundings, they can take citizens around on a tour of the facility.