SOMSD Expansion Plan Vote Monday

MAPLEWOOD, NJ - All of the long term planning regarding long term planning will come to a head on Monday when the South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education will vote on Superintendent Thomas Ficarra's recommendations for the Long Range Facilities Plan.

According to officials, part of the plan includes expansion to meet growing enrollment and to replace the classrooms which will be lost when the decaying portables are removed from the elementary schools.

After soliciting input from the community and staff Ficarra’s final recommendations to the Board were presented at the Oct. 15 meeting, and discussed at length at a special session on Nov. 7.

Ficarra is recommending:

• $93.1M in Health and Safety Renovations
• $38.8M for Expansion, with a K-5/6-8/9-12 configuration

Additional options suggested by community members during feedback:

• $3.6M to Expand Pre-School
• $15.2M to Add A/C to Schools
• $1.2M to Replace Turf at Underhill Field
• $600K on Observatory/Planetorium
• $2.4M to Reinforce Slate Roofs for Solar Panel Installation
• $20.6M to Reinforce Flat Roofs for Solar Panel Installation

These additional options will not be voted on at Monday’s meeting, officials said. The Board of Education will consider whether to bring any of the options to the Board of School Estimate for further discussion. Officials said they expect to go out for bonding in early 2019.

The full agenda of the meeting is available here and those who cannot attend can watch via livestream.

(Photo courtesy of Shutterstock)

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