The task force has recommended the Board of Education decide to pursue a $16.8 million renovation and construction project.
By: Linda Seida
WEST AMWELL South Hunterdon Regional School District’s Board of Education will meet Tuesday to decide whether to pursue a $16.8 million renovation and construction project.
If the board agrees, the project would go to voters for their approval in a December referendum.
Also under consideration is whether to approve the construction of a $4.1 million auditorium. If the board approves the auditorium, it would be included in the referendum as a separate, second question.
The needs of the curriculum were among the driving factors in pursuing a referendum, according to Ed Moran of West Amwell. Mr. Moran is a member of the task force that was responsible for choosing a schematic design to present to the board.
About 50 residents from the high school’s sending districts of Lambertville, Stockton and West Amwell attended a meeting of the board May 19 when Mr. Moran and other task force members presented their chosen design.
Afterward, several in the audience urged the board to pursue both the $16.8 million project and the additional $4.1 million auditorium.
The task force estimated the $16.8 million project could expect between $3.5 million and $4.2 million from the state to offset the cost.
"It could be more than that," said John Franzini of Lambertville, another task force member. "It certainly won’t be less than $3.5 million."
New construction would make the middle school area independent of the high school area. Construction would include a second gym for middle school students, a commons area, a combined media center and library, a middle school science lab, a music room, two resource rooms for special education and a computer lab.
Renovations would include upgrades to the building’s infrastructure, including lighting, electrical and plumbing. Other upgrades would occur in the existing music room and the cafeteria.
The existing science rooms would be remodeled for use by high school students. Also, the existing library would be turned into a student services area that would serve the Child Study Team, career-to-work services and counselors. Right now, because of a lack of space, some conversations between students and staff, which should be private or confidential, routinely are taking place in hallways, according to Superintendent Lisa Brady.
Local tax dollars would be responsible for about $12.6 million of the $16.8 million project, not including the auditorium. Taxpayers would repay the bonds floated to pay for the project over 20 years at a 5 percent interest rate.
If approved by voters in December, the project not including the auditorium would call for an additional $293 in taxes a year from the owner of a Lambertville house assessed at the city average of $289,491. Figures supplied by the task force say the tax increase would equal approximately $25 month for Lambertville taxpayers for 20 years.
In West Amwell, the owner of a house assessed at the township average of $435,127 would pay $342 a year or about $29 a month. In Stockton, the owner of a house assessed at the borough average of $166,895 would pay $192 a year or about $16 a month.
The cost of the auditorium would raise the amount paid by local taxes.
Adding the cost of the auditorium would raise the bill for the average homeowner in Lambertville to $369 per year or about $31 a month. In West Amwell, the average homeowner would pay $447 a year or $37 a month. In Stockton, the average homeowner would pay $250 a year or $21 a month.
The allocation of debt service is based on a number of factors, including the ratio of students from each district and the current tax data. Lambertville would shoulder 56.33 percent of the debt. West Amwell would shoulder 38.93 percent. Stockton would take on 4.72 percent.
During Thursday night’s meeting, no one in the audience spoke against the project.
One of those who spoke in favor of pursuing the referendum was Dean Stephens of Lambertville. He said he recalled the tears streaming down the faces of supporters of the last referendum, which failed by only six votes, 861-855. That was in March 2002 when the district asked voters for $11.8 million.
Six months earlier, voters turned down a spending request of $18.8 million by a vote of 969-857.
The school, which serves 346 students in grades seven through 12, has not undergone a major upgrade since it was constructed in 1959. Middle school students share space with older high school students. The space is inadequate to meet the needs of all students and the infrastructure needs upgrading, according to the task force.
"The kids need a chance to excel," said Stockton Mayor Gregg Rackin. "If we fail our children, we fail ourselves."
Mayor Rackin also urged the board to support the additional expense of the auditorium construction. He said it would be "the responsible position" to take. He drew a smattering of applause when he added the auditorium could be used as "a money-making vehicle" for the district.
James Mastrich, president of the Lambertville Area Education Foundation, also urged the board to move forward with the referendum. He said the foundation does not normally take a position on budgetary or economic matters, but this time the referendum is aligned with the foundation’s mission of enhancing and supporting education and building community involvement.
"We don’t see these as extras," Mr. Mastrich said. "We see these as essentials."
If the board approves the recommendation, members of the task force said they would be willing to go door-to-door if need be to make voters aware of the importance of the building project.
"It would actually almost be a part-time job to us, but we’re willing to do it," said Celeste Mosby of West Amwell.
Along with Mr. Franzini and Mr. Moran, Ms. Mosby presented the task force’s recommendation to the board.
Mr. Franzini said the school cannot offer a second Algebra II class because of space limitations.
"We need to raise the expectations of ourselves," Mr. Franzini said. "And we need to raise the expectations for our children."
In addition, "the middle schoolers get cheated here," Mr. Franzini said of the school’s current situation.
He said he heard from parents their children’s sports games last "10 or 15 minutes" because the gym must be shared by students from the middle school and the high school.
"We have one music room for two schools," Ms. Brady said. "We have one art room for two schools. We have one of everything pretty much for two schools. From an instructional standpoint, that is really very limiting."
"Two schools" refers to the middle school and high school that are both located in the building on Mt. Airy Harbourton Road.
If the referendum passes in December, the project could go out to bid between six and eight months later. After another two months, the district could award a contract.
Once the contract is awarded, it is estimated construction would take a minimum of 18 months to complete, according to architect Tom Townes of The Thomas Group in Princeton.
"Some of this work can be ready before other pieces could be," Mr. Townes said. "Obviously the new construction is going to be somewhat a little longer."

