Work on primary, elementary school entrances may begin in the fall
by James McEvoy, Managing Editor
MILLSTONE — District officials are moving forward with security upgrades including a new pair of secure doors at Millstone Elementary and Primary schools.
The Millstone Board of Education approved submitting the projects to the state Department of Education at the May 28 meeting.
Board member Neil Schloss was the lone dissenter.
According to a copy of the board’s resolution, the doors at the elementary school will include an electronic intercom and remote lock. The doors will be kept locked during the day and will be located at the main entrance corridor before it intersects with the north corridor of the building. The preliminary budget of the project is $25,000.
The secure doors at the primary school will be built in a new storefront wall to be constructed to the building interior side of the main office as part of the security upgrade.
The resolution states the configuration will be designed to require that visitors who enter the building will do so through the existing main office entry prior to entering the school itself.
The upgrade will include an electronic intercom and remote interlock at the office door.
District officials noted at the meeting the idea behind the primary school upgrades was to make the entrance similar to that of the middle school. The preliminary budget for the primary school upgrades is $37,500.
The board also authorized the upgrades to be included in the district’s long-range facilities plan.
According to district officials, securing school entrances was the primary recommendation of security experts who previously examined district security.
Board members said the project is also cost effective.
While construction during the summer would be ideal however, Business administrator Bernard Biesiada said he didn’t expect construction would be able to take place prior to the fall, citing the bidding process.
In other board news, a resolution was approved to urge state officials to amend the proposed FY2014 state budget to relieve school districts from “burdensome” assessments from the state School Development Authority. Other area school districts have made similar efforts to protest the SDA’s efforts to force districts to pay principal and interest for construction grants it has funded over the years.
The resolution notes that state law permits the SDA to only charge for administrative and organizational costs related to the financing of grants.
According to district budget documents the assessment increased from last year’s amount of $42,464 to $65,477, an increase of over $23,000.
Board member Suzanne Marasco abstained from the vote since her firm works with the SDA, though she emphasized she herself has not.

