Voters
to decide on $42M school expansion plan
Measure calls for work at two existing
schools and building athletic facility.
Wednesday, November 10, 2004 • By BILL BRAY •
The Express-Times
WASHINGTON TWP. -- The referendum to expand and renovate
Warren Hills High and Middle schools will go back before
voters on Dec. 14.
The new referendum is identical to the plan defeated by
a 246-vote margin in September with one exception. Voters
will be asked to approve the $42.8 million project in two
separate questions -- $36,797,413 to expand and renovate the
district's two schools and $6,086,755 to construct a new
athletic facility on Jackson Valley Road, across from the
high school.
School Board President Nancy Fallen said many people
thought the referendum would pass and never went to the
polls.
"We need to get more 'yes' votes out," Fallen said.
In September, several voters said they could not approve
the athletic portion of the project and favored a separate
vote on that portion of the plan.
Fallen said breaking the referendum into two parts will
help voters better understand the costs.
"I think it gives a chance for both to be approved,"
Fallen said. Voters must approve question one about the
expansion and renovations in order for question two about
the athletic facility to be approved.
School officials decided not to change the plan to avoid
resubmitting the project to the state Department of
Education for approval. Leaving the plans unchanged also
secures the state's commitment to give $13,021,869 toward
the expansions and renovations of the schools. Any change to
the plans would trigger a reassessment of the state funding,
Fallen said.
School officials said the expansions and renovations are
needed to address overcrowding at both schools. This year,
1,400 students attend the high school, which has a capacity
of 1,130 students. The middle school, which is supposed to
accommodate 615, has 750 students this school year.
The projects would increase the high school's capacity
to 1,548 and the middle school's to 748.
If approved, the project would add 48,000 square feet to
the high school, which was built in 1967 and last expanded
in 1989. The proposal would also add 7,400 square feet to
the middle school, which was built in 1931 and expanded in
1956 and 1967.
The project would add a new auxiliary gym, cafeteria,
aerobics/wrestling room, weight room, a trainer's and an
athletic director's offices and additional parking at the
high school. Existing space at the high school would be
renovated to provide for a larger library, four new art
rooms, two agricultural/science labs with greenhouses, 13
classrooms, two small group instruction areas and an
expanded guidance office.
At the middle school, four new classrooms would be added
to the rear of the building in a two-story addition that
would also include an elevator to make the school completely
handicap accessible. Renovations would provide the middle
school with a larger health office, a new main office near
the front entrance for better security, seven additional
classrooms and a new driveway for school buses to ease
congestion in the surrounding residential neighborhood.
The $6 million athletic facility would include a new
football field with a soft artificial turf, a new track and
four tennis courts.
Reporter Bill Bray can be reached at 908-475-1596 or by
e-mail at wbray@express-times.com.
© 2004 The Express-Times. Used with
permission.
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