School district not sure about asking voters again

BY JANE MEGGITT
Staff Writer

ALLENTOWN - The Upper Freehold Regional Board of Education is still undecided about holding another referendum for the construction of the new middle school.

The board was not expected to make a decision regarding a new referendum until Jan. 31 at the earliest, which was a day after press time.

Interim Superintendent of Schools Robert Smith posted a message on the Upper Freehold Regional School District's Web site explaining the delay in the decision-making process.

Smith wrote that the board was unable to come to a decision at its Jan. 17 meeting because it was missing significant pieces of information related to cost and timing. While the board was originally supposed to resume its discussion regarding the referendum on Jan. 24, Smith said that all the information the board needed was not available by that date.

Smith set a deadline for the school's professionals to present all known information to the board at an open meeting on Jan. 31.

"It is my expectation that the Board of Education will be able to make a decision on that date," he said.

The latest the Board of Education can make a decision on the issue in order to hold an April 17 referendum is Feb. 7, according to Smith, which is a Wednesday.

At the board's Jan. 17 meeting, board President Joseph Stampe said that if the board misses the April deadline for a referendum, the next possible referendum date would be in September.

According to Smith's letter, the board is "committed to providing appropriate space in order to achieve our educational goals." In the letter, he also asks for continued patience and support while the board tries to make the best decision for the children and the community.

Voters allocated $36.8 million for a new middle school in a December 2004 referendum. However, the Ellisdale Road site chosen for the school has soil remediation and wastewater management issues.

The 46-acre site approved by voters in December 2004 is located in a state Planning Area 4, which does not permit sewerage. However, the board may consider changing the location of the school site to a 254-acre property on Breza Road, which is located in a sewer district.

Hill International representative Paul D'Alto said there are issues with the Breza Road tract, which include performing environmental studies on the land and creating site access by repairing bridges. Hill International, of Marlton, is the school project's new construction manager.

D'Alto also noted that there are wetlands and Indian burial grounds on the Breza Road property.

At the Jan. 24 meeting, the board voted to authorize a sum not to exceed $25,000 for further investigation of the Breza Road site. Smith said the board has asked its construction professionals to prepare a site plan and to estimate the cost of site work to include bringing utilities to the site, improving roads and bridges, and determining additional soil sampling needs for the purpose of obtaining Department of Education approval if the district goes to referendum. The professionals will prepare a schedule for construction work as well.

Since the original referendum was site-specific, the school's bond counsel, Tony Pannello, said the board would need additional voter authorization to change anything regarding the school project.

Hill International reported on Jan. 17 that the new middle school project is already $10.7 million over budget without having put a single shovel into the ground.

At that time, Stampe called the idea of having to go from a $36.8 million referendum to a $48 million referendum "mind-boggling."