By Amy Batista, Special Writer
When the first school bell of the new academic year rings on Tuesday, schools including some classrooms that have been rehabbed for the upcoming year, will be ready for students.
Interim Superintendent of Schools Thomas Gialanella said, “Schools are ready,” during Monday night’s East Windsor Regional Board of Education meeting.
“This is the first time in my career I’m not beating my head against the wall the day before school trying to figure out where to put the kids because they’re not ready yet, so I was very happy to see that,” said Mr. Gialanella.
Staffing, with some minor adjustments still to be made, is basically good, he said.
“Transportation informed us that they are ready,” he said. “I have two emails from parents who have questioned the length of time their students are on the bus.”
Nicholas Puleio, the new interim business administrator and board secretary, will review the transportation routes to see if he can make some minor adjustments and “shorten that time,” according to Mr. Gialanella.
“We will look but it is well within the law,” he said, adding that the email stated the students were on the bus approximately a half hour even though they live relatively close to the schools.
Prior to the start of the board meeting, several board members toured the new science wing of the high school.
“A number of us went at six o’clock this evening down the hall to see the new science wing and the new labs,” Alice Weisman, board president, said.
She said they are “absolutely wonderful.”
“I feel bad that my kids missed out on the opportunity to take science in those labs because the job that was done in getting those labs built and looking so great and ready for school to start is just amazing,” she said.
She commended everyone who has been involved in the process for the job that they did.
“I know the kids are going to be very happy,” she said. “I’m sure the staff will also be very happy.”
Board member Kennedy Paul called the renovation a great reuse of the inventory they had.
“As some board members had an opportunity to see, the four classrooms that we rehabbed and the four new classrooms are in good shape,” Mr. Gialanella said. “We are open construction wise. We are still doing concrete work in some of the buildings and some finishing up but we will be ready to go when school opens.”
He said the maintenance and custodial staff did a great job putting it all together.
