BY MICHELLE ROSENBERG
Staff Writer
As part of a successful 2002 referendum, the science labs were upgraded with new tables and equipment. ABERDEEN — Residents of Matawan and Aberdeen caught a glimpse of where their tax dollars have gone during a dedication of the newly renovated high school March 22.
More than 100 residents from the township and borough showed up for the dedication at Matawan Regional High School, where several members of the National Honor Society were on hand giving tours of all the renovations and additions.
“It’s a wonderful improvement,” Aberdeen resident Joanne Rodriguez said.
Her husband, Urieo, agreed, adding that it’s important as a taxpayer to see your tax dollars at work. He also said that the new look of the school gives students something they can feel good about, which he feels will help with their education.
Included in the Atlantic Avenue building’s makeover were a new telecommunications system, renovations and additions to the science rooms, art rooms, special education rooms and the locker rooms. Also, the front of the building was renovated, giving the school a whole new look from the outside.
Residents who attended the dedication entered through the new front of the building, where they were greeted by a display of student artwork. They gathered in the school’s auditorium prior to taking the tour to listen to the comments of the school principal, the president of the Board of Education, and the superintendent, as well as various other people representing both Aberdeen and Matawan.
School Principal Christine Robbins said she hopes that everyone will feel revitalized upon leaving the building.
Board of Education President Cathy Zavorskas agreed, saying that the building offers a sense of pride that she believes the students can feel, leaving them with an eagerness to learn.
Schools Superintendent Bruce Quinn said that the district couldn’t be prouder of the school’s modernization.
The work on the school was the result of a $36.8 million referendum that voters passed in 2002. The high school renovations totaled about $10.8 million, $2.8 million of which came from state funding.
Quinn thanked voters for passing the referendum and allowing the renovations to go through. He said that although the state assisted in the project, the bulk of it was paid for with local taxpayer dollars.
The multimillion dollar project has given the school loads of upgraded equipment, such as the new and modern science labs, which feature student desks in the front of the classroom and state-of-the-art lab tables in the back.
“The additions are beautiful, and the labs are wonderful, very up to date,” said Annette Linfante, an Aberdeen resident with two children who will eventually attend the high school.
The superintendent said the district is particularly proud of the science labs and what they will do for the students’ education.
Aberdeen Mayor David Sobel said that the new labs offer students a wonderful opportunity to be educated in science and technology.
Sobel also said that what brings in and keeps people in the community is the infrastructure of that community, which includes the schools. He said that people will be drawn to a community that is proud of its school system, and that the high school is something to be proud of.
Parents were pleased with the entire project.
“I’m very impressed. I think it looks very nice,” Matawan resident Gil Carmichael said.
Now that the high school project is complete, the district will focus on the renovations and referendum work at the Matawan Avenue Middle School, where the timeline of work was prolonged due to damage sustained from a fire, Quinn said.