No Decision Yet on Bond Referendum Date by Harry Trumbore Evening, Opponents of a $40.2 Mil- Was Deeply Troubled by the Divided Board Has Until Oct
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The Serving our Community ‘We are short on space right now.’ Since 1888 Item Michael Cahill, Millburn Middle School principal September 29, 2005 75 cents weekly of Millburn and Short Hills www.theitemonline.com SCHOOLS No decision yet on bond referendum date By Harry Trumbore evening, opponents of a $40.2 mil- was deeply troubled by the divided board has until Oct. 10, the date of for delaying the vote, including the Kamber said school districts in of The Item lion bond referendum wrangled community and said it was the its next meeting, to decide whether constraints of the state budget cap past years received as much as 40 On a night when one Board of with supporters of the referendum responsibility of the board to build or not to hold a referendum in law he maintained could possibly percent of approved construction Education member appealed to and reports about a videotape a consensus. December. limit staff hirings for any new class- costs from the Schools Construc- the community to reach a consen- being made at the secondary Although the announced intent Kamber took the opportunity to rooms. He also said when an inde- tion Corporation (SCC), which sus on proposed construction at schools prompted debate on the of administrators has been to pre- argue that a vote on the referen- pendent architect is retained—an oversaw billions of dollars in state the secondary schools, the atmos- privacy of children and the public’s sent the bond referendum to voters dum should be pushed back until action approved at the last meet- financial aid. Although the SCC phere at Monday’s Board of Edu- right of access to the schools. in December, a vote to move for- March, the next possible polling ing—new input may show how the has since collapsed under mis- cation meeting was contentious. Early in the meeting board ward with the referendum was not date. construction can be accomplished During the course of the member Scott Kamber stated he on the agenda Monday night. The He listed a number of reasons with additional savings. SEE DECISION, PAGE B12 GETTING READY FOR A GRAND ENTRANCE SCHOOLS ‘We need space,’ officials report By Harry Trumbore The core facilities are stretched of The Item to capacity, the vice principal said. A student’s lunch period is split In an effort to define the space between the cafeteria and waiting needs at the town’s secondary in the auditorium while the other schools, the Board of Education half of the class eats. Musical invited administrators from the groups are split into halves that middle and high school to speak to never play or sing together until the the audience at Monday night’s weeks before a concert. meeting. Guidance counselor John The board is currently consider- Rogers described the challenge of ing a $40.2 million bond referen- providing assistance to students on dum to fund construction at the the go, but cautioned that because two schools. of inadequate space, there are The school officials all main- “many compromises that fully tained additional instructional impede what we are trying to do space is needed not only because here.” of projected increases in student The situation is similar at the populations, but also to meet the high school, according to principal needs of the students currently in Keith Neigel, who has spent 33 of both schools. his 37 years in education in Mill- “We are short on space right burn. now,” said Michael Cahill, the mid- “There’s a mindset in Millburn dle school’s principal for the past of continuous improvement,” five years. Neigel said. Since 1969, he has Cahill said although there are seen the student population grow currently 1,062 students in the from approximately 600 to the cur- school, a more individualized rent 1,285 and overseen a faculty ADAM ANIK/THE ITEM delivery of instruction is achieved that has doubled over the same by grouping students into teams period of time. Township sculptor and metal fabricator Larry White completes the installation Monday of a steel arch at the Main Street sharing the same academic teach- “It’s been a struggle to maintain entrance to the newly renovated Courtyard in downtown Millburn. The arch is the finishing piece of a township project that ers. a personalized education,” Neigel included participation of the business community and private donors. The Chamber of Commerce planned to hold a The middle school holds the dis- said. “We’d like to maintain what dedication ceremony for the archway last night. trict’s sixth, seventh and eighth we have and get better.” grades. Addressing proposals to While Millburn students consis- alleviate overcrowding by retaining tently score well on standardized the sixth grades in the elementary tests, Neigel said space needs are MUNICIPAL schools or in a central sixth grade going to impact delivery of cur- school, Cahill stated recent riculum. Students will be offered research indicates pre-adolescent fewer electives, there will be over- students, including sixth graders, crowding in art and science labs, benefit from the middle school and if an overlapping or split Leaf collection draws questions environment. schedule is implemented, after- Vice principals Theresa Gonnel- noon activities, such as sports and As the municipality publicizes than 50 calls from residents need- calendars to each homeowner and county roads. la and David Pawlowski outlined clubs, will be dramatically affected, its new system for leaf collection ing to know their zones. placed advertisements in local The township’s new leaf collec- the problems administrators have he said. this season, members of the A few calls have come in from newspapers. tion system was devised in in scheduling 460 classes a day in Vice principals Michele Pitts Department of Public Works have landscapers asking what zone Timothy Gordon, the town- response to state stormwater regu- the school’s 51 regular classrooms. and William Miron told the audi- been fielding questions from resi- their customers are in, he added. ship’s business administrator, said lations stipulating that leaves can- Despite overcrowding, Pawlowski ence the library is often closed to dents. Callers are being told the zone sys- the advertisement published in not remain in the street for longer said, the school manages to pro- students when space is needed for “By far the most frequent ques- tem is based on the township’s six this week’s edition of The Item is than seven days, and they must vide “not just the basics, but an testing or meetings. The adminis- tion has been ‘What zone am I existing recycling zones. to contain a listing of streets in not be placed within 10 feet of any enriched curriculum.” trators said it is difficult to provide in?’” Tim Monahan, supervisor for The municipality has published each zone, as a further aid to help storm water inlet. Gonnella explained classroom rooms for visiting college recruiters the department, said Monday. a calendar showing leaf pickups residents understand the system. The Department of Environ- utilization is at 100 percent for to meet with students or even small Monahan, who is heading up the from October through December In related news, Gordon said mental Protection (DEP) imposed most of the nine periods during the private areas for parent confer- leaf collection effort, said the under the new system, which was this week he has not heard from its new seven-day regulations ear- day and made the point that some ences or a single student taking a phones have been ringing off the officially instituted last week. county officials about plans for core facilities—such as the band- make up test. hook, and he has gotten no fewer The township mailed magnetic removal of leaves from homes on SEE LEAF, PAGE B12 room and cafeteria—are used for Miron said next year, two facul- instructional purposes, but are not ty rooms will have to be turned included in a count of classrooms. into classrooms and the phasing SOUTH MOUNTAIN RESERVATION Township resident Vic “However, we are in those Benes, a board member spaces,” Gonnella said. SEE OFFICIALS, PAGE B12 of the South Mountain Conservancy, speaks ELECTION Trails set to get during a press conference Monday in which County Executive Got something on your Joseph N. DiVincenzo a $1 million fix Jr., left, announced the mind? Ask the candidates! start of a $1 million By Patricia Harris Speaking outdoors at the project to repair trails The Item wants to know what’s on your mind about the upcoming of The Item Bramhall Terrace overlook off and infrastructure in the Township Committee election and invites readers to submit suggestions Essex County Executive Joseph Crest Drive in the reservation, South Mountain for questions for the four candidates running for two open seats on the N. DiVincenzo Jr. announced the DiVincenzo addressed a crowd of Reservation. Volunteers Committee this year. start of a $1 million project to about 50 local and county officials, with the conservancy Suggestions should be brief and to-the-point. The Item intends to pre- repair trails and infrastructure and giving credit to the South Moun- have been cleaning up sent questions to the candidates and will publish the responses. Read- address erosion problems in the tain Conservancy, which has been ers can expect answers to appear prior to the election. county’s South Mountain Reserva- a partner in acquiring state funds the reservation for the In order to have your suggestions considered, please submit them by tion during a press conference for the renovations. Township res- past five years and Monday. Monday. ident Vic Benes, a board member partnered with the Suggestions can be submitted to [email protected], dropped The improvements, to begin this of the Conservancy, has been county to acquire Green off in our office at 343 Millburn Ave., or sent by mail.