$53 Million - WOW! Not spending our tax dollars wisely!
Demolition of the pool is not necessary for the school district to achieve its educational goals.
Support for the pool does not mean lack of support for other necessaryupgrades. This is not a choice between STEM labs, classrooms and saving the pool. All can be accommodated.
Spending $53 million on a plan which includes several questionable, unnecessary and non academic expenditures while also destroying our only swimming pool is unacceptable.
More than $15 million (~30%) of the total spend is dedicated to new sports facilities with new gyms at Union and Pierrepont Schools and field upgrades at the High School. Spending of this magnitude on select sports facilities is incompatible with destruction of equal magnitude of the only public swimming facility in Rutherford.
KEEPING POOL VS. ADDING KITCHEN & CAFETERIA
The $2.69 million commercial kitchen and food distribution center is an unnecessary expense.
The $4.79 million new cafeteria expense is not justified by a capacity increase of just 75 seats. The enlarged cafeteria would not accommodate half of the student population, as initially proposed.
TURF
The $2.5 million artificial turf plan for the HS Athletic field is unnecessary. Real grass would be a preferred and more cost-effective choice.
For $53 million it should not be necessary to continue to maintain the inferior temporary 'portable' classrooms. One of the early preferred options was to demolish those 'portables' in order to provide additional outdoor space.
There will be insufficient outdoor space remaining for the students at Pierrepont School. The lower playground will be eliminated with the construction of the new gym, and the one story 'portables' are not the best use of space.
The decision to exclude from the referendum wording, the specific number of new classrooms to be built at Pierrepont, is problematic. A recommendation to add language specifying 11 new classrooms was rejected. As a result, it is entirely possible that fewer classrooms may be built.
SECURITY
Security is not being sufficiently addressed as part of this $53 million plan.
It was proposed that some or all students should remain at the HS for lunch for their own safety and for building security. This was one of the reasons provided for the new kitchen & larger cafeteria. However, nothing in the plan addresses any security measures to protect the athletic field or any of our school's entry points, perimeters or playgrounds.
OUR KIDS DESERVE BETTER
We can do better for our kids & our community with a $53 million spend!