In preparations for a referendum that would fund building repairs and upgrades at two Milltown schools, administrators are inviting the public to see the needs for themselves.
School Business Administrator Richard Guarini looks on as Milltown Superintendent of Schools Linda Madison shows a photograph of aging electrical panels in use at the Joyce Kilmer School. The $7.2 million bond referendum going before voters Dec. 11 has been in the works since 2005, and the need for repairs has grown more and more urgent, school officials said. By conducting tours of the Joyce Kilmer School, officials are hoping to educate the public on the severity of problems there and at the Parkview School.
“I don’t think they realize the scope of repairs that need to be done,” Superintendent of Schools Linda Madison said during a public presentation Monday.
The good news for voters is that the state will contribute over 33 percent of the project’s costs in debt service aid, which would reduce the tax burden over the bond’s 15-year term by about $3.5 million, plus interest.
The all-purpose room at Kilmer was built in 1989 without a kitchen, leaving officials to use a storage closet as a warming kitchen. By working out a plan to phase out the old debt service costs as the new ones come in, school Business Administrator Richard Guarini said the district will help make the project more affordable for taxpayers.
“They’re not going to feel a huge or dramatic increase in taxes,” Madison said.
According to Madison, though the district has done its best to address the issues little by little through the school budget, there is no way to continue doing so without additional funding. She said there is constant work being done to temporarily fix problems within the buildings, but the referendum funds would provide a permanent solution.
“We do a very good job of taking care of immediate needs, but really, we’re just putting a Band-Aid on it,” said Janet Ferlazzo, principal of the Joyce Kilmer School.
Some needs are presenting hazardous conditions for students at the two schools. Poor ventilation in the gymnasium and in second-floor classrooms at Joyce Kilmer bring temperatures to unhealthy levels for students at times.
Ceiling panels on the second floor of the Joyce Kilmer School show signs of water damage due to a leaky roof. “You can fry an egg on the floor when the boiler is on,” Madison said of one of the second-floor rooms.
Classes have to be relocated in these instances, which interrupts the learning process. In the gym, since the windows do not open, doors to the outside are opened, presenting security issues.
“We’re checking everyone in at the door, giving them security passes, but we have these doors open,” Ferlazzo said.
New, more efficient heating and ventilation systems would be installed at both facilities if the referendum passes.
The floor of the Joyce Kilmer gym, dating to 1946 when the school was built, is wearing down and warping. Slats are buckling, and Madison said nailheads often become exposed from excessive sanding over the years. Gym walls are looking their age, as well, with spots of crumbling plaster scattered throughout, and tiles periodically becoming detached.
PHOTOS BY ANDREW MILLER staff Laura Amador prepares salads in the makeshift kitchen that is otherwise a storage room at the Joyce Kilmer School in Milltown Monday. Officials hope to address such inadequacies and other facilities needs with a $7.2 million referendum this December. A complete renovation of the gym would be included in the bond.
Major portions of the roofs at both schools need replacing due to leaks. Portions of the second-floor ceiling showed water damage. Tiles in the drop ceiling are regularly replaced in order to prevent mold growth, officials said.
What was once a storage closet now serves as a preparation and warming kitchen for lunches at Joyce Kilmer. Meals are sent from Parkview School to be warmed up at Joyce Kilmer, because space does not allow for cooking there.
The room where students eat doubles as storage space for chairs, paper and recreation supplies.
“This is what you call ‘lunch in a closet,’ ” Ferlazzo said.
As part of the project, the makeshift kitchen at Joyce Kilmer would be enlarged to allow for cooking, and the lunchroom would be expanded to make room for hot- and cold-food lines. Storage space would also be added.
Behind the kitchen will be a new media center, which would allow for two classes to be taught simultaneously within. It would also enhance security by allowing access from the outside, for use by the public after hours.
“This will allow us to have a little more control in the future of where the public has access,” Madison said.
The existing media center at Joyce Kilmer will be converted to two sixthgrade classrooms.
Electrical upgrades will bring the Joyce Kilmer school up to date, since the existing panels are so old that replacement parts are difficult, if not impossible, to acquire, Madison said. The inadequate distribution of electricity in the building causes fuses to blow when multiple outlets are used.
Science labs at the school will also be upgraded. Though students are able to conduct some experiments, the lack of gas or usable sinks limits their abilities.
“It’s inadequate for a middle school science lab,” Madison said.
On the outside of the building, the gym facade is a target for improvements. Falling gutters and deteriorating wood in columns will be replaced. Town officials and residents have called the portion of the building a historic landmark, Madison said.
“The borough felt that they really wanted to preserve this,” Madison said.
It’s such an eyesore now.”
School administrators are reaching out to the public through “See for Yourself” presentations and tours at the Joyce Kilmer School. For those who missed Monday’s event, another will be held Sept. 29 from 10 to 11 a.m. Reservations can be made by calling (732) 214-2365. An information session will take place at the school Nov. 28 at 7 p.m., when voters will have the chance to speak with school officials, as well as the project’s architects.
For further information about the project or the referendum, call the referendum hotline at (732) 214-2361.