Mat-Ab district honing in on referendum cost Second forum on long-range plan scheduled for Monday

Mat-Ab district honing in on referendum cost
Second forum
on long-range plan
scheduled for Monday

ABERDEEN — As the Dec. 15 deadline approaches, Matawan-Aberdeen Regional School District officials are preparing a finalized five-year plan to be submitted to the state.

All this week, officials, planners and architects have been at the district’s schools surveying the condition of existing facilities, according to Kenneth Jannarone, board secretary and business administrator.

Jannarone said that the district should have more realistic numbers available for a possible referendum project at the second public forum on the subject, which has been rescheduled for 8 p.m. Monday, Nov. 27 at the high school.

The first meeting, held Oct. 30 in the high school auditorium, focused on general options for the district, including renovation of two dormant schools, or simply adding onto existing, operating facilities. Schools Superintendent Michael Klavon has stated that the district needs to prepare for current and projected enrollment increases.

A big question is whether the district will renovate the former Cambridge Park School, which now houses the district’s central offices. An early estimate had renovation costs as high as $3.4 million.

Regardless of the decision on Cambridge Park, the other six district schools need repairs and renovations, said Klavon at the first meeting. Klavon said the board favors maintaining the present facility and grade structure of the district.

According to Klavon’s presentation, the Lloyd Road School needs windows replaced to improve energy efficiency, electrical system upgrades, library renovations, the addition of a music complex, and roof repairs. The Strathmore School needs approximately six new classrooms; new wall tiles in corridors and in bathrooms; window replacement; and electrical upgrades.

The Ravine Drive School would need six new classrooms, drainage improvements and roof repairs. The Cliffwood School would also need six additional classrooms, new corridor tiles, classroom ceiling tiles and electrical upgrades.

The currently overcrowded Matawan Avenue Middle School needs 18 rooms, an auxiliary gym, expansion of the cafeteria, an upgrade to the guidance office, and an upgrade of the bleachers and lockers.

Matawan Regional High School needs upgrades for technology, electrical, auditorium, and modification of several auxiliary rooms.

The board emphasized that the plan submitted by Dec. 15 is not the final plan and can be slightly modified with public input until a possible referendum vote on the project.

Once the district submits its long-range plan, Klavon said, the state will have 90 days to review the plan, and another 60 days to approve it. Klavon said the earliest any referendum could be voted on, would probably be next fall.

The state has always required a five-year facilities plan from school districts, though the Dec. 15 deadline takes on significant importance due to the $8.6 billion school construction bill signed by Gov. Whitman in July.

Over $6 billion of the bill’s funds are slated for 30 special needs districts throughout the state. There are over 600 school districts in the state, of which all but 30 will be competing for the remaining $2.6 billion.

Regular school districts, such as Matawan-Aberdeen, will be eligible to receive up to 40 percent of funding on any approved school construction project, but must submit their plans by Dec. 15 to be eligible.