HOWELL – During a recent appearance before the Township Council, Jeremy Braverman, the principal of Howell High School, described planned improvements at the building.
The improvements are part of a $39.8 million referendum that will be placed before voters on Oct. 2 by the Freehold Regional High School District Board of Education.
Residents of the district’s eight sending municipalities will vote on the referendum. The district enrolls students from Colts Neck, Englishtown, Farmingdale, Freehold Borough, Freehold Township, Howell, Manalapan and Marlboro.
The district operates schools in Colts Neck, Freehold Borough, Freehold Township, Howell, Manalapan and Marlboro.
Braverman told municipal officials security upgrades will be made at the high school if the referendum is approved.
“People will have to buzz in, they will be in an area where they cannot get into the building, but they are not sitting outside, and then ultimately (they would be) buzzed in again if they are there for a reason. If they are not (there for a reason), they would stay in the (enclosed) area. So there would be a structure built, better known as a man-trap,” he said.
Braverman said another proposed security upgrade would be the addition of deadbolt locks on all classroom doors and an upgrade to the glass in doors.
Plans also call for a new public address system in the building.
“Our PA system is very outdated. The school was built 55 years ago and we want to make the PA system louder, crisper and clearer so there are no nooks and crannies in the building where announcements cannot be (heard). We are in a pretty good spot right now, but obviously we want it to be better,” Braverman said.
Plans at Howell also call for two new science, technology, engineering and mathematics classrooms and an upgrade for the tennis courts. Braverman said the referendum would also provide funding to repave the parking lots and upgrade the roof.
“In a nutshell, we are a pretty fiscally responsible district. We are always under the threshold per pupil where we need to be and that being said, we are hoping people go out and vote,” he told the council.
Braverman said the reason district administrators have been able to put together a referendum that will not raise taxes is because debt associated with the construction of Colts Neck High School has been paid.