Phillipsburg hopes its long-delayed new
high school will be on latest list of funded projects.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008 • By TRISH GRABER •
The Express-Times
TRENTON | Odds appear slim that
Phillipsburg's long-awaited new high school will be included in
the next round of the state's school construction funding.
The Legislature is getting set
to consider approving another $2.5 billion bond to build 47 new
schools.
If lawmakers approve the new funding,
it will be used to complete 27 unfinished projects left over from
the last round of funding. Phillipsburg is not among those 27.
But 20 additional projects will
be chosen from a list of 371 that local school officials have
submitted to the state.
In Phillipsburg, where students
attend classes in 31 trailers, school officials are crossing their
fingers.
"I am hoping every day that our
project will be on an approved list," said acting Superintendent
George Chando.
State officials will use a ranking
system to decide which projects are completed. That system is
being finalized by the Department of Education. All of the 31
so-called Abbott districts' projects will be included.
"They'll be listed in educational
priority order and we'll work off that list," said Larry Hanover,
spokesman for the Schools Development Authority, which replaced
the embattled Schools Construction Corp.
Phillipsburg has been waiting for
a new $88 million high school since 2005. The state already completed
$16 million in site work, but the project was halted when the
Schools Construction Corp. ran out of money.
Earlier this year, Gov. Jon S.
Corzine told the Supreme Court he would provide $2.5 billion for
construction projects at some of the state's 31 poorest districts,
the so-called Abbotts.
Legislators introduced the bill
to provide the funding last week. It has yet to be considered
by lawmakers.