To the editor:
According to the School Board’s numbers, it’s going to cost $1,088,000 alone to demolish Valley Road School. Let’s get real.
First, Valley Road School (VRS) is a historical site, the location of the first integrated regional school in the area. In 2013 it was honored by Preservation NJ as one of the 10 Most Endangered Historic Places in the State. Constructed in 1918, it gained a reputation for cutting-edge curriculum development. In the 1950s, under the Princeton Plan, VRS became integrated when students were assigned to schools on the basis of their grade-level, rather than their neighborhood. Many from the Witherspoon-Jackson Neighborhood became students at Valley Road School.
In recognition of the historic importance of VRS, the original design for the new 5th/6th School, included the limestone arch from Valley Road School to symbolize its history and importance to the Community. Community members, including two from the Historic Preservation Commission, met with Superintendent Steve Cochrane and the School Board’s architect, and the design team reiterated this plan. The group expressed disappointment that the plan didn’t include saving more of historic Valley Road School, but appreciated how the arch at least symbolically represented the past. Since that time each presentation has repeatedly incorporated the historic arch in the design.
Recently and suddenly, the plan changed. The arch disappeared from the building design, leaving what looks like only one of the smaller arches as an alone landscape element, no longer integral to the new building.
Not only is this a radical change and a violation of a commitment, but it brings up a question – instead of spending more than $1 million to demolish the entire building, couldn’t portions be saved, such as the 1950s addition currently housing the District’s Administrative Offices. Former Superintendent Judy Wilson, not that long ago, in fact, undertook a major renovation of this portion of the Building, including installing a new chiller system.
Let’s take a step back. Let’s postpone the referendum. In my opinion, there has been a lack of public involvement at every step of the referendum process, beginning with the building program narratives for each building, which should have had extensive stakeholder work sessions. Let’s peer review the capacity assessment and the enrollment projections. Let’s see how the town’s affordable housing plans shape up over the next year. Let’s also look at shared space opportunities with the Municipality. We should not need to spend $130 million and mortgage the future of our town to make the improvements we need to our schools.
Otherwise, I can see us heading down the same road that led to the massive cost overruns, mistakes and litigation involving the Performing Arts Center, which was constructed as a major part of the last bond issue. Let’s pay off the bonds we are still paying off, and take a year to determine as a Community what we want to do. We have the time, particularly at the high school level. We need to take the time.
Kip Cherry
Princeton