Response to Letter from the Superintendent
Hopefully you have read the letter that was sent on Monday by Mr. Hurley, Superintendent of Schools. We are greatly encouraged to see communication like this and applaud this move. We agree with the Superintendent that a fully informed electorate is necessary to make the best decision for our students and for our community. Open communication, full transparency and a community willing to participate and voice their opinions is essential.
We also agree that our students need adequate classrooms, science labs, bathrooms and buildings that are not falling down. Many of the proposals will likely enjoy near universal support from within our community but some do not. Open discussion on the merits of one plan over another is a necessary and healthy component of our public discourse and must be encouraged.
Please share and be aware of the following facts which were not included in the Superintendent's letter.
- This is not a 'YMCA pool', this is 'Our Community Pool'. The letter referred to the pool as "for the YMCA" and "used by the YMCA". Although the YMCA does manage and run the pool, they do so at the discretion of the RBOE who made the decision to outsource the pool management to the YMCA in 2002 and the RBOE has re-approved that contract annually since then. Additional evidence supporting the fact that this is a community pool follows:
- The language from the RBOE contract with the YMCA to operate the "Community Pool Program". The Board currently has YMCA operate a community pool program at Rutherford High School on its behalf which is used by students, residents of the Borough of Rutherford .... Preference for enrollment in the community pool programs shall be given to residents of the Borough of Rutherford …”
- The language from the Rutherford Mayor and Council meeting on February 7, 1978 when the Mayor & Council approved transferring the EDA funds to the RBOE to build the pool "stipulating that the town share this facility, week-ends, summers and evenings". Since the pool's founding the RBOE has honored the stipulation (requirement) passed by the Mayor and Council and has run the pool as a Community Pool. We believe that this is a binding agreement that must continue to be honored for the benefit of our community.
- The YMCA made a public offer to the RBOE on April 30, 2018, further guaranteeing that this pool can continue to exist as a Community Pool specifically benefiting Rutherford students and citizens with community programs such as a new free 2nd grade learn to swim program and more extended offerings for Rutherford residents, the Rutherford Recreation Department and the Mayors Wellness Program. All this at zero taxpayer cost with the YMCA also assuming the needed capital improvements for the pool which are in excess of $1 million. The High School swim team would also continue to use the pool at no cost to the RBOE. This should be viewed as an excellent opening offer that the RBOE can improve on through negotiation with the YMCA.
- Community Wide surveys by the Long Range Planning Committee were identified as the basis of the referendum proposals, yet just 270 parents responded to the last survey. 270 is a tiny percentage of all parents and should not be taken as representative of the entire community. Even so, none of the 270 parents (or the 100 staff members or 76 students who also responded) suggested that the pool should be filled in with dirt. Nothing in the survey responses indicated a need for a new commercial kitchen, nor did it mention a preference for artificial turf over real grass for the high school field.
- The October Vote. Typically very few people vote in October referendums. The reasons provided for the necessity to pay additional dollars for this October vote (estimated to cost between $30 thousand and $50 thousand) rather than holding the referendum in November (which would cost $0) have evolved and shifted from being able to bond before the end of the year for more favorable interest rates to needing more time for the architectural plans. If this vote really must be held in October then every effort must be made to ensure the largest turnout possible.
- The High School Swim team. The letter states that swim team would "join our other sports, such as our championship football team, baseball, soccer, track, tennis, softball, and bowling teams, who practice and play at sites off-campus not owned by the Board of Education". Those off-campus sites are almost all in Rutherford and a short distance from every student's home. How far away will the swim team have to travel for training? The swim team practices 6 days a week, 2 hours a day for 3 months (Nov-Feb) when training, so even a 30 minute commute each way to train every day would be a significant and onerous new burden, as will the additional cost (estimated at more than $10 thousand per year) to rent some other pool. There is also no guarantee that sufficient space can be found at some other pool, how many swim lanes would be made available, how far away it might be or what time of day or night the students would go to practice. Currently our team has priority and dedicated use of all 6 lanes of their own pool from 3:15pm - 5:30pm. This cannot be replicated anywhere else.
We encourage everyone to accept the Superintendent's invitation to become more informed and to let your voice be heard by sending an email to mailto:facilities@rutherfordschools.org. Our campaign to save the pool is a response to the request from the Superintendent and the RBOE asking for feedback on the proposed plans and this is critical to a well-functioning democracy. We are have received an overwhelming positive response from the public as of the last board meeting and signatures continue to be collected at the http://SaveOurPool.us website.
We believe that an affordable viable option that meets the needs of our students but also ensures the survival and use of our pool by our students and our community exists. None of the options as currently presented serve this purpose but with some modification perhaps could. We urge the RBOE to engage another architect to review all current plans. If you were embarking upon major renovations for your home wouldn't you want a second or third opinion? No option should be left unexplored in seeking a resolution to these difficult issues.
Please reply to this email if you plan to attend the next meeting on Monday May 14 at 7:30pm in the RHS cafeteria meeting. If you are unable to attend, members of the public can also send letters or emails to the Board asking for your letter to be read into the record by the BOE Secretary.
Thank you,
Rutherford Citizens to Save Our Pool