Schools
North Caldwell Considering Multi-Million School Expansion Project
Within five years, student enrollment is expected to increase by 50 at Grandview School and 47 at Gould School, administrators say.
NORTH CALDWELL, NJ — The North Caldwell Public School District will host a public forum to discuss a possible multi-million dollar school expansion project in the district at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 26 in the Grandview Cafeteria at the regular Board of Education meeting.
The forum will include an opportunity for public feedback and comment, school administrators stated.
The North Caldwell Board of Education held a presentation on the possible expansion effort during its April 4 meeting. An informational presentation from the meeting can be seen here.
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According to the board’s April 4 presentation, the expansion project would be funded by the sale of bonds, subject to a public referendum that would be set for March 2018.
The expansion project would address population growth in North Caldwell and aim to maintain an average class size of 18 students, administrators stated.
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The effort would also address “facility improvement needs” at both schools, including:
- Boiler Replacement
- Roof Replacement
- Air Conditioning
According to school administrators, a demographer’s report has indicated a population growth in North Caldwell by the 2021-2022 school year, which forecasts the following student enrollment increases:
- Grandview – additional 50 students
- Gould – additional 47 students
School administrators said that in order to maintain the district class size of 18 students and take back support spaces that are currently used for educational space, each school would require the following:
- Grandview: 6 additional classrooms, 9 to 12 small group instruction spaces, 1 music classroom
- Gould: 3 additional classrooms, 8 to 10 small group instruction spaces, “a connection of the two buildings”
School administrators are considering multiple options for the project, which can be seen here. The options include price tags that range from $25.75 million to $34.41 million.
A final decision to move forward on a possible referendum is expected to be made in June 2017, school administrators said.
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File Photo: North Caldwell Public Schools
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