Middlesex Borough School District

Transcription

1 Middlesex Borough School District Frequently Asked Questions Building for our Future (Updated May 26, 2016) The Middlesex Borough School District is exploring the possibility of improving its educational facilities through various upgrades, additions, renovations, and/or the building of a new school. These changes would address energy efficiency and building infrastructure to maximize the district s resources, enhance the learning environment, and meet demographic and curriculum delivery requirements to prepare our students for their future. The district is currently seeking input from the community to shape the planning process. Below are responses to questions that have been raised multiple times by the public. The responses are for informational purposes. The questions have been edited and added to throughout the discussion process. The Board of Education is committed to taking the time necessary to do this work properly. They want to ensure that the district operates most efficiently while providing a learning environment and program that will maximize student learning potential. 1. How long will the process take from concept to completion? Typically the process from start to finish takes years. An exact timeline cannot be determined until a concept is in place. Typically a larger building project would take months from the point of a referendum approved by the voters. At this point in the year and the process, a referendum vote will not take place in What are the plans for Watchung and Parker? Currently there are no specific plans for Parker School or Watchung School, however, the Board is exploring ways to increase efficiencies and maximize resources as one of the possible reasons to build a new school rather than add onto an older less efficient structure or to maintain the older structures and build something new. Some ideas focus on consolidation that will reduce travel time between buildings for shared staff and reduce the replication of services in multiple locations as well as the costs of maintenance, heating, and utilities for less efficient buildings. 3. Are the schools in disrepair? No, budget money and allocations from capital and maintenance reserves have been applied toward repairs and upgrades incrementally over the years. That being said, there are unanticipated repairs that need to be completed each year within the confines of a fixed spending plan. Careful planning is done during the budgeting process to anticipate a year in advance which projects the district can afford to do, within a 2% tax levy cap revised Page 1

2 4. Shouldn t we keep Parker and Watchung because they have historic significance, they can t cost that much money to upkeep? There is a difference between a building that is historically significant and one that has sentimental value because of its age. Brinkerhoof Associates is conducting research about Parker School and Watchung School to see if the buildings meet the criteria for being historical as part of the general survey of the facilities. All buildings require regular maintenance. Maintenance and repairs to 100+ year old buildings are challenging and costly with a return on investment that is less robust. Anticipating repairs is difficult because some repairs have unanticipated costs such as asbestos abatement which can cost almost as much as the repair or upgrade being made. A new building with its upgraded insulation, energy efficient heating and cooling and lighting, etc. in the long run is more cost effective. In addition, health and safety concerns can be addressed to provide a healthier learning/work environment for students and staff. 5. I heard the new school will be 5 stories, is that true? No, there is no architectural plan for a new school. 6. Why are you knocking down Parker and Watchung? At this time there is NO plan to knock down schools. However, it has been discussed that if a new centrally located elementary school is built there would be no need to keep Parker School. Space for a playground, etc. would be needed and could be accommodated if Watchung School was removed from the property. There has not been any offer of purchase for Parker or Watchung School. 7. Taking down the trees in front of Watchung School changed the whole landscape. Why would those trees be removed now? The trees were removed last year due to a storm that caused one of the trees at Watchung School to fall down. The district was very fortunate that this did not take place while school was in session, nor did the tree fall on the school building. The other trees were assessed by several arborists who recommended, because of the rot found within the trees, that they be removed as well. The district planted new trees to replace the 100 year old trees that were unfortunately lost. 8. What will the transportation cost be? Currently the district provides transportation to a limited number of students in the Middlesex School District. Students are entitled to busing if they live more than 2 miles from their school or across a dangerous crossing (such as the railroad tracks). We also transport special needs youngsters if their Individual Education Plan (IEP) requires it. Currently we revised Page 2

3 transport an average of regular education students at an total approximate cost of $85,000 per year. It is anticipated that the cost would double if a new school is built on the Mauger/Watchung property. The transportation for special needs students would remain the same no matter where a new school might be built. 9. Isn t it more expensive to build new schools than bring the other schools up to code? It is difficult to answer this question right now since there have not been any design plans for a new school, nor a plan done for renovating the existing schools. Renovations and additions have been discussed by the public and are on the table as an option. 10. Why isn t the Board revealing their plan and letting us decide if we are interested? As responsible stewards of taxpayer money, the Board wants to be sure the public would generally support a referendum before committing a significant amount of money to plan a project that may not have support. Quite frankly the Board hasn t revealed their plan because there is no plan. In fact, the Board is reluctant to move forward to authorize the architects and other necessary professionals to do the preliminary work to create a plan because of the cost to do so. If the residents do not even support the idea, the Board does not want to spend almost $200,000 to have the architect begin to conduct the necessary studies in order to see if a site plan can be developed. 11. What purpose does it serve to get the community s ideas first? Getting community input allows the Board to evaluate what the community views as the state of their schools and to ask before spending a significant amount of money on putting a referendum plan together whether the community shares the view of the School Board. This process of due diligence will help the Board decide whether or not to move forward because a building project is a significant expense. It is also the Board s wish to use this as a way to survey the community to ensure they have thought of everything before making a decision and to learn what information would be requested by the public to help them understand the process/needs. 12. Why do they keep repaving the road in front of the high school instead of fixing the drainage problem that keeps causing the potholes? The general public may not be aware that the school district owns only one road leading into Mountainview Park/MHS. The Board resurfaced John F. Kennedy Drive next to MHS as a change order to the MHS parking lot project a number of years ago. The Borough owns everything from the middle of the grass easement along John F. Kennedy Drive over to and including Mountainview Park. The Board owns the immediate property that the high school is built on. The Board does not own any of the playing facilities (football, baseball, softball, revised Page 3

4 soccer, tennis courts) used by the high school students. The Board engages in a shared services agreement with the Borough to use and help split the cost of maintenance and mutually agreed upon upgrades as needed. The Board of Education does own all the land around Hazelwood, Watchung, Mauger, and Parker Schools. The land/fields behind and around Watchung and Mauger are owned by the Board of Education. Building a new school on that property would not require the Board to buy land. 13. Do people who live in apartments pay taxes? Yes, taxes are assessed to the owner of the apartment complex. 14. Why can t the schools just use OLMV? OLMV is a school owned by the Diocese of Metuchen. It is not for sale at this time; however it may be for rent. The Board investigated in the feasibility of leasing the school to ease space issues in the public schools. Dr. Madison met with Fr. Pat, toured the school facilities, and inquired about the cost to lease the building. The projected cost to lease the building per year was determined by the Board to be prohibitive. In addition, the Board would be required to bring the building up to current code compliance because it has not been an active school for multiple years. Fr. Pat was quite responsive and collaborative during the inquiry. This option has been eliminated by the Board for the following reasons: It is not a large enough space to solve any of the space issues we currently have. Only one grade level would be able to be housed in OLMV since there are 6-7 sections on each grade level. It would be cost prohibitive for the Board to do renovations on a building that it doesn t own (within a 2% tax levy cap). It would not be a more efficient use of staff. An additional building would need to have support staff (secretarial/custodial), shared staff for special areas (art, music, PE, computers, Spanish), additional utility costs, additional instructional materials, etc. (within a 2% tax levy cap). The annual rental cost (hundreds of thousands of dollars) at approximately $10/sq ft would be difficult to fund with a 2% tax levy cap. 15. Is the Board going to find out if non-residents are crowding our schools? The Board has been committed to controlling student residency for many years. The Board employs an Attendance Officer whose sole responsibility is registering students and monitoring the eligibility of students. On the district website there is an entire page dedicated to the residency requirements and the process for enrollment. If a revised Page 4

5 community member identifies a child thought to be in the schools illegally, the Attendance Officer thoroughly investigates. He requires the parent to prove residency, observes that the child actually resides at a place in Middlesex Borough, and follows up through all legal means to verify residency. The Attendance Officer is conducting a re-registration of all pupils in grades K- 11. The re-registration process is being advertised in the weekly eblast sent by the superintendent and is outlined on the district website. As of May 26, 2016, 367 families have re-registered for a total of 618 students. The public should also be aware that there may be circumstances during which it appears that students are not eligible when in fact they must remain in the Middlesex Borough Schools. Examples include homeless status (the children continue to attend school in the place of last verified residency for a period up to one year), removal from residence by DCP&P, and students who reside in homes based on an affidavit of residency process. It should also be noted that there are students who ride the public transportation bus from a stop close to their home in Middlesex to the high school or middle school to avoid walking the distance or on days of inclement weather. Student bus fares are very reasonable and there are a number of students who take advantage of this option from within Middlesex Borough. 16. Didn t new windows just get put in Watchung and Parker Schools? New windows were installed at Parker, Hazelwood, and Middlesex High School within the past 4 years. It is important to remember that making sure the building envelop is weather tight is critical to maintaining a healthy work/learning environment. Roofing is another structural improvement that is ongoing to ensure that water does not penetrate. The Board has been very careful to plan the improvements to the schools to be most cost effective and to make use of grant money that may be available. Recently Regular Operating District ROD grants were used to create security vestibules at each of the 5 schools with minimal expense for the vestibule at Watchung because the building structure was already in place. The other schools all needed major construction and because of the grant it only cost the district 60% of the cost of the project. 17. What were the most recent upgrades to the schools over the past 3 years? Grant funded vs district funded: All five schools took part in an Energy Saving Improvement Plan (ESIP). This enabled the district to replace ALL lighting in EVERY school, replace the original building boilers in MHS and Hazelwood, air condition the MHS gym, media center, 2 classrooms, and the Athletic Director and Assistant Principal s office, AC the Hazelwood gym and media center, and AC the VEM Gorman gym and cafeteria and replace the AC in the older gym and the media center. The automation of heating and ventilation systems in all five schools and a co-gen plant at MHS and VEM were also included. Security film was applied to the cafeteria windows, the media center, revised Page 5

6 and outside doors. The ESIP is budget neutral because the cost of the project is paid from the savings from the energy efficiencies and rebates from the upgrades. At Watchung School minimal work was done to finalize a security vestibule. 40% of the project was paid for with a grant. The electrical service was also upgraded with district funds. Two trees were removed after one of them fell in a storm last year. They were replaced. This was district funded. At Hazelwood School a new security vestibule was installed with security film on windows (grant funds 40% of the cost). The windows and roof were also replaced this year (district funds). At Parker School a new security vestibule was installed with security film on windows (grant funded). The building windows were replaced three years ago (district funds/grant funds 40% of the cost). At Von E. Mauger a new security vestibule was installed with security film on windows with a new office configuration (grant funds 40% of the cost). The locker rooms and two pairs of student-use bathrooms were installed three years ago (district funds). At MHS a new security vestibule was installed (grant funds 40% of the cost). The windows, air conditioning the cafeteria, and 2 partial roof areas were replaced (grant funds 40% of the cost). The gym was upgraded by refinishing the gym floor and replacing the locker rooms (district funds). The Community School and Attendance Office was created (district funds). One pair of student-use restrooms and a single-use ADA compliant restroom was installed (district funds). The media center was renovated as well one classroom space. Another large room was subdivided into air conditioned office space and two classrooms (district funds). 18. Will we need additional staffing if this goes through? Or a decrease? It is anticipated that staffing will remain the same although there may be ways to reduce some staff by eliminating duplication of services. 19. Why harp on the buildings being 100+ years old? When a building is 100+ years old it does not meet current standards by the NJDOE Facility Education Standards, does not meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements, may not have the electrical infrastructure necessary to support future technology upgrades, is not energy efficient, thus making it difficult to regulate heating and cooling in old multi-story buildings, and requires additional ongoing maintenance, i.e. parts are no longer available. There are repairs that are regularly made to the plumbing/sewerage revised Page 6

7 system that are costly and sometimes disrupt the school program. Some of the spaces used for instruction are not conducive to a 21 st Century education. 20. Would a second floor be an option for Hazelwood School? Building a second floor onto Hazelwood or any school or publicly used building could not take place while children are in the school. Where would those children attend school during a building project? Also, we need to consider if the building foundation is capable of supporting a second floor. 21. Would additions to some or all of the schools solve the problem? This may be a viable option and will be explored by the professionals. 22. LEED Design What is it? LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a voluntary third party rating system for benchmarking the sustainability of new building construction as well as the renovation and ongoing maintenance of existing buildings. There are special requirements for different building types, such as schools, which are addressed as part of the LEED rating system. As the name implies, the focus is heavily on energy efficiency and environmental concerns that affect both human health/wellness and that of the planet simultaneously. LEED is a point based system where buildings receive points in 8 possible categories for implementing sustainable strategies. The categories include Transportation, Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy & Atmosphere Conservation, Material & Resource Conservation, Indoor Environmental Quality, Regional Priority, and Innovation. A total of 110 possible points may be awarded and different levels of certification are available depending on the number of points accumulated. Certification levels include Certified (40 points), Silver (50 points), Gold (60 points), and Platinum (80 points). The State of New Jersey requires that all new school design incorporate the principles of LEED. In our experience, a LEED certified, silver, and even gold school can be achieved at similar costs to a conventional building. The credits within the categories of LEED are intended to reduce operating and maintenance costs, improve human health/wellbeing/learning, and protect the environment. 23. What is the difference between building Green Principles and LEED classification? Striving to include the principles of green building in any project should always be an objective. The only way to know for certain is to actually get the building certified by the US Green Building Council. The only entity that can determine compliance with the LEED rating system is the Green Business Certification Institute (GBCI), an independent third party certification body that accredits LEED professionals and certifies LEED buildings. An Architect, Engineer, State Government is not legally allowed or authorized to make any such claim of compliance with the revised Page 7

8 standards of LEED. LEED is third party validation that the levels of achievement and performance have actually been included and obtained for your building project. 24. What is the Living Building Challenge? The Living Building Challenge (LBC) is a spinoff of LEED. It was started by the Oregon chapter of USGBC. LBC has 21 'Imperatives' which are similar to the credits in LEED. Unlike LEED where you can pick and choose which credits you pursue, in LBC you must do all 21 imperatives in order to be considered LBC certified. Some of these are extremely difficult. Many projects will struggle with individual compliance of the imperatives let alone all requirements to be net zero energy, net zero water, net zero waste, and avoid any chemicals on their material red list. It is challenging to be net zero anything, let alone all of those simultaneously. There are only a handful of buildings across the US that has achieved this standard and they are all primarily small environmental centers. Recognizing the difficulty of this challenge, LBC does allow projects to get individual certifications in specific areas such as Energy, Water, or Materials. The chemical red list is very difficult to meet. It includes PVC (found in vinyl, VCT floors and piping), Cadmium (found in chrome plated sinks), Mercury (found in fluorescent lighting), among many other commonly used chemicals in building products today. This is a lofty and difficult rating system and is considered by many to be the leading edge of sustainable building. 25. What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Solar Energy? Installing solar on your building or site will reduce your annual energy costs. It will also dramatically reduce your carbon footprint as you are generating power (the single largest source of carbon emission contributing to climate change) from a renewable and sustainable resource. Systems can be roof mounted, carport or walkway canopy constructed, ground mounted in fields, or integrated into the building as coatings on glass and roof shingles. There are electric panels, thin film and crystalline. Most solar you see is crystalline. Efficiencies range from 6-9% to as high as 60 70% depending on the system (film, crystalline and thermal). For roof mounted systems the structure has to be sufficient to support the extra load and the building needs to be properly oriented and in direct line of the sun. Canopies can be aesthetically unpleasing and ground mounts are often challenging for schools that use the open land for athletic fields. A district could finance a project in its entirety and benefit from all the savings. By owning the system the district would be responsible for maintenance. While a district could construct and finance a system they are not eligible for the federal tax credits. Many districts have entered into public / private partnerships in the form of Power Purchase Agreements (PPA). A private company pays for the system and enters into an agreement with the district. The private company benefits from the tax credits and in other ways and is responsible for maintenance of the system. In this scenario the district has a limited financial benefit based on a negotiated revised Page 8

9 electric rate. Rebates and incentives have fluctuated historically and this includes something called the Solar Renewable Energy Credits (SREC) which also impacts the financial viability. 26. What does the timeline look like? At this point the Board will hold its last Community Input Meeting on May 26, 2016 in Hazelwood School. Over the summer of 2016, the professionals will develop options to present to the Board for consideration. Beginning in the Fall 2016, the Board will begin to present information about the option(s) to the public. The vote on the referendum is limited to four (4) possible dates each year (September, December, March, April). At this time the Board does not anticipate having a vote on the referendum in They may decide to take additional time to get the word out, which would delay the vote until September (see timeline chart) Timeline Date Summer 2016 September-October 2016 Fall 2016 Spring 2017 September 2017 September 2017-August 2019 September 2019 Action Professionals develop options to present to the BOE based on all input received. Building options are presented to the BOE in open public session BOE decides which option is the best fit. Authorizes architects, engineers, bond counsel to finalize the referendum submission The plan is presented to the community and refined. Funding structure is created and communicated. Voters are informed. Proposed Bond Referendum Vote Completion of design and construction phase Anticipated Substantial Completion date 27. What efforts has the Board made to inform the public of these meetings? In addition to the ways information was sent regarding the previous 3 meetings (put the notice on Facebook and Twitter, sent home info via eblast, posted on the school signs, posted in local newspaper, and sent a reminder to those who had previously attended meetings), the Board also posted signs around the Borough, sent home flyers with children,, and had a Nixle alert sent out in advance of the final meeting of I heard there was a plan for a 5 story school? It was discovered that this was an idea that had been discussed by a previous Board of Education dating back to approximately This is no longer an idea being discussed revised Page 9

10 Fact vs Fiction Our Lady of Mount Virgin is not a long term solution to our school facilities problem. Here is why: Pros Cons 10 classrooms, 1 gym, 1 library space, 1 10 rooms is only enough space to house 1 cafeteria grade level (we have 6-7 sections on each grade level) Parking is available Not for sale at this time Drop off is safe and accessible Rental is a recurring expense Blacktop area for recess is available Rental cost is more than what the 2% tax levy cap can allow as revenue Additional staff would be needed for custodial, main office coverage, nursing services, food service/supervision, etc. This would add an additional traveling need for special area teachers (shared staff) Furniture / supplies would be needed Code upgrades may have to be done as an additional expense in a building not owned by the district Additional operating costs associated with heating/cooling, electric, etc. would be added for another building Using OLMV for prek and k would require the building to be brought up to code with bathroom spaces in rooms. Building a new high school is not an easy option. Here is why: Pros A new high school could provide upgraded services and facilities to advance the study options and perhaps vocational options for high school students. All school children would eventually benefit from a new high school. The new HS would be the jewel of the community. Cons Need a location large enough to build. Need to buy property. The size of the current high school facility may not be developmentally appropriate for younger grade level students. Square footage of building a new high school is about 2 or 3 times that of building an elementary school, without the additional cost of purchasing property revised Page 10