District Details Student Transfer to High School, Mold Cleanup Efforts

At the Manchester Township Board of Education meeting on Wednesday night, Superintendent David Trethaway jokingly quipped that it had been “a slow week”, referencing how busy the district had been recently in distributing information to the community regarding the at .

“We for the middle school parents and staff on Monday, and for the high school parents and staff on Tuesday,” said Trethaway, who thanked board members, school administrators and environmental consultation experts for their presence at the meetings and helping to inform the public.

The superintendent briefly recapped the work that will go on at the middle school for the next several months: the first floor will be completely gutted and replaced, while the second floor (while spared from mold) will undergo an intensive cleaning operation, as well.

At the meeting, a resolution ratifying emergency contracts for those services rendered by both T.T.I. Environmental and Servpro were approved by the board.

Trethaway continued that supplies, student records and other essentials from Manchester Township Middle School will be transported to over the next few days.

“We’ll probably be (all moved) in there, pretty much tomorrow or Friday,” said Trethaway. “Mrs. (Nancy) Driber and her secretary, Mr. (Craig) Lorentzen and I are all right to go in there for the next few days, get whatever supplies we need from the middle school to the high school, then obviously it will be shut down totally.”

Trethaway said that a lot of textbooks and other supplies from the second floor will be fine to use, but that objects from the first floor, such as student health records, will need to be checked first to make sure they are OK to handle.

Trethaway also provided that sports teams for the middle school will practice before the start of the school day, and there are plans in the works for games to be held on Saturdays and for night games to possibly take place.

The superintendent also thanked middle school administration for their assistance in devising the new class schedule for the planned split-session classes.

“I want to thank Mrs. Driber and her staff, especially Mr. (Steve) Ninivaggi for working very hard on the new schedule, and I think they did a good job presenting it,” said Trethaway.

The superintendent also thanked high school principal Alex George for his efforts in helping to coordinate the split-session schedule, from the perspective of MTHS students.

George said that sixth-grade students will be taking classes in the 300-wing of the building, while the seventh- and eighth-graders will attend classes in the 200-wing.

Trethaway added that supervision of students in the daily transition from high school classes in the morning, to middle school classes in the afternoon is crucial — but that there will be two faculties’ worth of staff and personnel to provide that supervision.

Kevin Burger, head of Student & Staff Services, said again that offers had been extended to the district for before-school child care under the new split-session class schedule. He said that the Y Building in Toms River had contacted the district with rates, as well as the Hilltop School.

“The Y has given me a very reasonable price of $225 per month,” said Burger, for the expense of before-school childcare, five days a week, for the entire month.

Burger added that intramural sports and homework assistance would be offered for students in the Y’s care program.

Driber mentioned that tours of the high school building for middle school students will take place next Wednesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and from 6 to 8 p.m. This orientation will take place on Wednesday for sixth-graders and their parents, and on Thursday for seventh- and eighth-graders and their parents.

Trethaway again acknowledged that there would be inconveniences with the new split-session arrangement, but said that the entire district would need to “step up” for it to be successful.

“I’m going to compliment our staff ahead of time, because they’re all going to have to do a little bit more, and little bit differently than we planned on. But I think we’ll get through it,” said the superintendent. “It’s not a normal operating day when you have to relocate 725 students to another building.”

Trethaway mentioned that further updates would be made available via the school website and local TV-21 — which the recent public informational meetings held on the mold situation.

“I think we did the best we could under the circumstances. There will be a lot of things as we go that we may have to change or tweak, but we’re always flexible in Manchester, so that should not be a problem,” said the superintendent.

Middle school students and parents also are invited to tour the high school on the following schedule:

• Sixth-graders: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 29. 
• Seventh- and Eighth-graders: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 30. 

Driber and Ninivaggi will be available in the cafeteria at noon and 7 p.m. on both days to field questions.