WEST AMWELL: New roof among changes at elementary school

By John Tredrea, Staff Writer
   WEST AMWELL — When 275 students begin classes at West Amwell Elementary School on Sept. 7, they’ll begin learning their lessons under a brand new roof.
   The old roof was original to the building, which was constructed in 1952.
   ”It certainly needed to be replaced,” Superintendent Todd Fay said.
   The bill for new roof was $333,000, with taxpayers responsible for $194,000 of the total, Business Administrator Donna Tolley said. A state grant paid for 40 percent of the eligible construction costs, Dr. Fay said.
   Also this year, West Amwell will share a new Spanish teacher with Lambertville Public School. Elizabeth Richtmyer is replacing Olga Rodriguez, who resigned and moved to Florida. Ms. Richtmyer will teach three days a week at West Amwell and one day at LPS.
   Students in grades four to six will have new cubbies in their wing of the building. Taxpayers will contribute $80,000 of the $156,000 cost of the project, with a state grant picking up the rest, Ms. Tolley said.
   A new playground is in the works, with the school hoping for installation sometime this year, Dr. Fay said. The current playground is unsafe by modern standards. The PTO will contribute $7,000, and the district has $50,000 earmarked for the project, Ms. Tolley said. The school hopes to win a state grant for the remainder.
   Teachers from West Amwell will participate Oct. 1 in a training session at South Hunterdon Regional High School to expand technology skills, which they can bring back to the classroom. In addition to West Amwell’s instructors, participants will include teachers from Lambertville Public School, Stockton Public School and South Hunterdon.
   ”We’re excited about continuing our growth in that direction,” said Dr. Fay, who also is the superintendent at LPS. The new skills “will get them ready for life beyond us.”