A s summer approaches, administrators in the Millstone Township K-8 School District are discussing how construction could begin in September at two schools — the Millstone Township Elementary School and the Millstone Township Primary School.
On May 28, the Board of Education voted to proceed with two capital projects that are expected to improve security in the two schools.
Voting “yes” on the resolution were board President David DePinho, Vice President Margaret Gordon and board members Suzanne Marasco, Amy Jacobson, John Saxton and Kevin McGovern. Board member Neil Schloss voted “no.” Schloss was not available for comment.
Board members Salvatore Casale and Patrick Whalen were not present at the May 28 meeting.
DePinho said he believes part of the district’s mission is to create a safe learning environment
“The goal is to help prevent any unauthorized individual from gaining access to those schools and to help ensure the safety of our children and staff,” DePinho said. “We all realize that we cannot guarantee with absolute certainty that nothing will ever happen, but we can act upon recommendations of the experts and the state police in a responsible way to secure entrances and give our children and staff an extra measure of security, safety, and even time in any emergency situation. In some cases, those things may make all the difference.”
DePinho said the administration and the School Security and Safety Committee, chaired by Gordon, who is executive director of safety and security at the New York City Department of Transportation, worked with a number of security experts and the state police to assess Millstone’s schools. “They all came back with the same, strong recommendation, that one of the most important steps was to secure the entrances to the primary and elementary schools,” DePinho said. “The board sought to do this as cost-effectively as possible and approved steps that will add the needed extra layer of security.”
Business Administrator Bernard Biesiada said the timeline for the upgrades at the elementary school and the primary school is very aggressive. He said project applications were submitted to the Department of Education, Office of School Facilities, on May 29.
Biesiada said Millstone administrators anticipate approval of the plans by the Department of Education in about one month. In the meantime, bid specifications for the work will be prepared. Once approval for the project is received from the Department of Education, the board will advertise for bids, according to Biesiada.
“We expect to receive bids sometime in July,” Biesiada said. “After a review of the bids by the board’s professionals such as the architect and attorney, we would potentially award bids in August, followed by a notice to proceed and determining a construction schedule. Work could start sometime in September.”
The resolution that was passed by the board spells out the plans for the two schools.
Construction at the Millstone Township Elementary School will provide a new pair of secure doors at the end of the main entrance corridor before it intersects the north corridor. The new secure door will be kept locked during the school day and will be equipped with an electronic intercom and a remote interlock. It will not create a new secure entry directly into the office. The preliminary budget for this project is $25,000.
The Millstone Township Primary School will have construction of a new wall to the building interior side of the main office, containing two new pairs of secure doors.
The configuration will be designed to require visitors to enter the building through the existing main office entry prior to entering the school. The plan includes the addition of an electronic intercom and a remote interlock at the office door. The preliminary budget for this project is $37,500.
According to the resolution, there is no state aid available for school facilities projects from the state Department of Education.
Therefore, the board authorized Biesiada to submit the projects to the Department of Education for approval as “other capital projects.” The board also authorized the district’s long-range facilities plan to be amended to include these projects.
Superintendent of Schools Scott Feder pointed out that multiple security experts all made the proposed work a top recommendation.
Feder said he believes the work to be completed at the primary school and at the elementary school will create a holding section and another layer of security upon a visitor’s entrance into the building.
“This decision is not reactionary, but rather comes from a series of meetings with experts, board committee members, and analyzing designs from our architect,” Feder said. “It is being made with the best interests of our students and staff in mind.”
Feder pointed out that Margaret Gordon, vice president of the board and chairwoman of the safety and security committee, works in an executive position in the security field.
“She volunteered to chair this important committee in order to bring her expertise to the district,” Feder said. “This is another important element that is beneficial.”