Group Tackles Safety Schools Get Good Marks Town Ponders Student Needs

Volume118 Number 5 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2005 75 Cents Group Town ponders tackles student needs phy is a correct one.” She suggest- By Patricia Harris ed when plans are drawn up for of The Item safety the new Town Hall, consideration should be given to housing the Finding ways to cooperate with board of education’s administrative By Harry Trumbore and assist education officials in offices, freeing up the current of The Item their search for additional class- administrative building. room space became a topic of dis- Haimoff said everyone should During their second meeting cussion Tuesday evening at the keep in mind, however, the board Jan. 26, members of the school dis- Township Committee meeting. of education is an elected body that trict’s Safety Committee reorga- Township resident and architect operates independently of the nized themselves into two sub- John Buchholz sparked the con- township’s governing body. They committees to study the issues of versation. Buchholz, who serves as have their own ideas they are pedestrian safety and traffic routing a member of the Board of Educa- exploring, she made a point of say- around township schools. tion’s long-range planning com- ing. One subcommittee will study mittee studying space needs at “At the same time, we should hazardous routes and busing. The school facilities, asked Committee explore how we can help residents second group will examine site members to consider making space by keeping tax rates down by com- concerns, such as signage and pro- currently in the township’s posses- bining or offering such help as we cedures, around the various public sion available to the school system. can,” she said. schools. Specifically, he suggested that the Committeeman Daniel Baer “We need to set priorities,” Millburn Free Public Library, told Buchholz, “I totally agree with Superintendent of Schools Richard which is located near the middle your concept. I’ve always advocat- Brodow told the committee mem- school, could be converted for use ed joint planning. When you’re bers, residents who have volun- as a school. dealing with a scarce resource in teered to participate in studying Buchholz said the library could this town—land—the concept of traffic and safety issues. “Then we be relocated as part of a planned joint planning is a good one.” need to look at those priorities as a new Town Hall complex. The Also at Tuesday night’s session, district wide issue.” township is in the process of McDermott reported he met In attempting to rectify any acquiring two properties on Essex recently with other members of the problem areas it finds, Brodow Street for the new complex. county government steering com- told the committee, it will have to In the meantime, he noted, the mittee, an informal group of apply a set of criteria that reflects Harry Trumbore/staff photographer library is considering an expansion, municipal representatives from the consensus of the whole com- REPORT CARDS ARE IN—Superintendent of Schools Richard Brodow reviews the annual although money for the project has Essex County exploring ways to mittee. report cards for district schools Monday. The reports were compiled by the state Department not yet been allocated, he said. reduce the county tax burden. The Safety Committee was of Education. “This is the creative thinking McDermott said the group set up formed at the recommendation of that pulls all of these things togeth- three task forces, and he is chairing a safety consultant who presented er,” Buchholz said, noting three the budget task force. Other task a report on neighborhoods around entities—the township government, forces will explore county services, district schools to the Board of the school system and the library— which will look at services munic- Education in September. The con- Schools get good marks are planning to build facilities with- ipalities can assume, and long- sultant urged formation of a com- in the next three years. range strategies for permanently mittee comprised of residents, law They do not include tuition In 2003-04, SAT scores for “I just want to encourage some reducing county government, he enforcement officers and school By Harry Trumbore expenses, transportation, judge- municipalities with similar socioe- conversations about all this pre- noted. of The Item officials to assess transportation ments against the district and oth- conomic profiles as Millburn were planning in the township,” he said. Gordon reported he was part of issues on an ongoing basis. er costs, including costs for stu- 606 verbal and 641 mathematics. Buchholz’s plea followed a a group that met this week with Besides Brodow, the committee The state Department of Educa- dents sent out of district. If includ- According to the report cards, report by Mayor Thomas C. one of the township’s two con- also includes Jackie Bate, the dis- tion (DOE) yesterday released its ed in calculating the total costs per district teachers’ salaries and bene- McDermott. Earlier in the day, the gressmen, Rep. Donald Payne, trict’s supervisor of transportation, annual school district report cards pupil, these factors brought the dis- fits for 2003-04 made up 55 per- mayor and Timothy Gordon, busi- about obtaining transportation and police Sgt. Peter Eakley. Bate for the 2003-04 school year and trict per pupil costs up to $12,060 cent of the district’s total compara- ness administrator, met with Mary funds for building projects in the missed the meeting because of the township schools continue to earn and the state average up to tive expenditures, 2 percent more Litterman, Board of Education downtown. Accompanying Gor- flu, however, and Eakley had to high marks. $11,903. than the previous year. At the same president, and Richard Brodow, don were Arthur Fredman, presi- attend a meeting at Town Hall. Figures for 2003-04 show it cost Superintendent of Schools time, administrative salaries and superintendent of schools. The dent of the Downtown Millburn Fourteen residents showed up the district $11,020 to educate a Richard Brodow said the report benefits made up 8 percent, the meeting was a preliminary one to Development Alliance (DMDA), for the Jan. 26 meeting. During the general instruction student, com- cards show Millburn is an “average same as the previous year. explore ways the township govern- and Thomas Watkinson, township meeting, members voiced their pared to a state average of $10,621. spending” district. A breakdown of The median salary for district ment could help with needs for engineer. concerns about a number of topics. While school administrators the per pupil costs in the report teachers, which lagged behind the expansion, McDermott said. Gordon said state legislation David Robinson said he is con- said they haven’t had the opportu- cards, he said, show classroom state average by approximately “We’re looking into certain appropriating federal transporta- cerned with pedestrian safety nity to analyze the figures in depth, instruction costs and administra- $6,000 per year in 2001-02, grew options, and we’ll discuss the tion funds is in conference com- throughout the township, not only they added the reports show the tive costs are just below state aver- to $54,311 in 2002-03 ($4,000 potential with a new Town Hall,” mittee, and Payne promised to around schools. district is maintaining a high level ages. above the state average) and the mayor said. keep local officials up to date. “I thought this committee might of education at costs comparable “More telling than anything else $62,337 in 2003-04, compared to a Several members of the Com- During the session, members of come up with some suggestions for to those of similar districts is how you compare with similar state average of $50,554. mittee expressed their receptivity the Committee passed eight reso- the Township Committee,” he said. statewide. districts,” Brodow said. The increase in salaries was the to continuing discussions with lutions by consent. Among the res- Salomon Lama made the point These comparative costs are As an example, Brodow noted result of the three-year contract members of the Board of Educa- olutions was one accepting the that several roadways bordering based on classroom instructional average Scholastic Assessment Test which is up at the end of this tion. Committeewoman Mary F. donation of a piece of art, “Milburn schools, such as Millburn Avenue, expenses, such as salaries and ben- (SAT) scores for township high school year, the superintendent McNett told Buchholz, “That’s the Reservation,” from township resi- are county roads. efits, supplies and textbooks, sup- school students continued to climb said. kind of thinking outside of the box dent Lynne Ranieri. Ranieri, who Barbara Brown suggested that port services (such as health, guid- last year. Township students scored “I think you’ll see a more mod- that maybe we need to do more of.” collects historical pieces for the committee members begin by ance and library costs), adminis- an average of 606 in the verbal est contract next time,” Brodow She suggested all parties sit down Millburn-Short Hills Historical looking for “low hanging fruit”— trative costs, operational expenses portion of the exam, up three said. “Salaries have jumped in together for further discussion. Society, told the Committee she and costs for extracurricular activ- points from last year, and 641 in Committeewoman Sandra H. Continued on Page B12 ities. mathematics, up 15 points. Continued on Page B12 Haimoff said, “The basic philoso- Continued on Page B12 New code seeks balance details of the proposed ordinance, of a building computed by using By Patricia Harris which defines building length and the inside dimensions of the exte- of The Item modifies the minimum side yard, rior walls of the building, not rear yard, building coverage and including basements, detached With proposed new develop- maximum building height require- garages and unfinished attics.

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