COURT HOUSE – Middle Township School District residents will vote March 8 on a bond referendum that includes “high priority” items to address the district’s most “critical” needs.
A Jan. 21 presentation by architects from the Spiezle Architectural Group outlined at a Board of Education meeting what will be included in a $21.3-million bond proposal that will have no property tax impact and a $3.3-million proposal that will cost about $1.70 more a month for the district’s average homeowner.
“During the 2013-14 school year, the board went through a strategic planning process to assess the district’s critical facility and site needs,” said Superintendent Dr. David Salvo. “The major result is the enhancements and remediation of our school facilities, especially Elementary School No. 1 and the bus garage.
“We tried to evaluate what our most critical needs were,” he added, “This referendum takes care of those problems so that the money we are spending on some of the Band-Aid approaches can be used for curriculum and programs.”
Patrick Gallagher, senior project architect from Spiezle Architect Group, said the district’s goal was for zero tax impact for property owners. “Currently, the Band-Aid approach the district is using costs money,” he said. “By having this referendum, they are avoiding any impact to the budget curriculum funding.”
He noted that the heating, ventilation, air conditioning systems and some of the roofs and windows have reached “End of useful life. This also will address site drainage concerns and the pre-Kindergarten building overcrowding.”
Voters will decide two questions:
The first covers $21,320,000 for work at both elementary schools, as well as middle and high schools. If approved, 10 percent of the cost will be funded by the state.
The second is for $3,320,000 to provide two new athletic fields, a new playground, a new building with concession stand, storage and toilets, and parking near Elementary School No. 2.
No state funding is available for this work, and if approved, would only take place if the first proposal also is approved by voters.
Gallagher and Steven Siegel, another architect from Spiezle, which has offices in Trenton, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New York, explained the work that would be done:
At Elementary School No. 1, a new pre-K addition with seven new classes will be built, along with a pre-K courtyard and inclusion classrooms. A new gymnasium addition will include renovated storage and toilet facilities and a new health office will be expanded to include space for occupational and physical therapy. The parking lot will be expanded, electrical service will be upgraded, sidewalks will be replaced, brick will be repointed and new drainage and retaining walls will be built.
“There will be a dedicated entrance for the pre-K,” Siegel pointed out, “and the gym will be brought up to state Department of Education standards.”
At Elementary School No. 2, there will be a new transportation building and new bus parking drop off with additional parking throughout the site.
Gallagher said the “biggest issue here is the water infiltration.” As a result, the storm water drainage system will be redesigned. All existing skylights and the asphalt shingle and membrane roofing will be replaced; windows in the cafetorium, band and music rooms and administrative offices also will be replaced.
Existing berms will be removed and the site will be regraded for proper drainage. The exterior insulation finish system will also be replaced.
At the Middle School, there will be electrical upgrades throughout, exterior canopies will be restored and the side entry canopy will be extended.
At the High School, the heating, ventilating systems and controls will be replaced in the auxiliary gymnasium and the existing glass block windows in the gymnasium will be replaced.
Second Question
The second bond proposal covering the new athletic fields addresses the “schools’ and township’s need for more fields,” Siegel said. The estimated $1.70 per month tax increase is based on an average $241,000 house assessment and a 4.3 percent interest rate.
“Why pursue a referendum now?” he asked. “Construction costs and interest rates remain low and this work is more cost-effective than the repair-as-we-go approach. The state is providing this debt service aid now, but there is no guarantee how long it will be available.
“In addition, the work completed in the referendum will reduce the impact on the annual maintenance budget, allowing more funds for what a school district should be using them for, curriculum and programs,” Siegel added. “We also expect there will be energy savings and we will research for any potential rebates the state offers.”
When asked why the board is holding a special election at the cost of $22,000 rather than waiting for the annual school board election in the fall, Board President Dennis Roberts replied, “We can’t wait for the safety of our students. In addition, if the interest rates go up, that alone will cost us more than the $22,000.”
If approved, architects will design the renovations and indicated that “green” options such as solar panels will be considered.
Initial work would begin in October; however, construction would not take place until the summer of 2017. The athletic fields would open in April 2018, according to Gallagher.
To contact Karen Knight, email kknight@cmcherald.com.
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