Crowd voices support for Dec. 14 referendum

BY VINCENT TODARO
Staff Writer

EAST BRUNSWICK — Faced with what has been described as the most ambitious project in the school district’s history, supporters of a Dec. 14 referendum are making a case to get the proposal passed.

Some of those supporters were out in full stride at the Nov. 18 Board of Education meeting, pointing out what they believe are poor conditions at the schools included in the plans. Those problems would be eradicated or improved if the $106 million measure passes.

Parents and district employees who spoke said outdated facilities and overcrowding are problems that adversely affect education. They argued that the situations in the three schools — Hammarskjold, Lawrence Brook and Central — cannot be tolerated. But with a cost to local residents of about $81 million, supporters are seeking to get their message out to a community that has already been faced with significant school tax increases in recent years.

“I have been in the district 34 years, and I can say this is one of the most important decisions that this community will make,” said Superintendent of Schools Jo Ann Magistro.

Board President Michael Baker has previously said the district was going into uncharted territory with the project. The total cost of the proposal is about $160 million, but it has been split into two referendums, one this December and the other for December 2006, in order to make its price more palatable. While the total cost of the first referendum is $106.1 million, the state will chip in $24.7 million.

Lynn Seligman, a nurse at Lawrence Brook, outlined some of the conditions she faces daily at the school. She noted that there are up to 28 students per class in the upper grades of the school.

“The children are tripping over each other, literally,” she said.

Some small group instruction classes have to be held in the hallway because of a lack of classroom space, she said. That makes it even harder for young children, who have shorter attention spans, to pay attention. The children get distracted by people passing in nearby halls.

Instructional music is taught in the back hall, which is cold, Seligman said. The area had been renamed, dejectedly, “symphony hall.”

Lighting in the classrooms is also inadequate, and the small instruction rooms have poor ventilation and no windows, she said.

Making matters worse, she said, is the leaky roof. When the leaks are fixed, it’s never long before new leaks open up, she said. In addition, the old boiler does not heat classrooms evenly, meaning that some are too warm while others are relatively cold. Also, the faculty room is so crowded there is not enough room for all teachers to sit down for lunch.

The number of students has increased by about 35 percent in the time she has been at the school, Seligman said, and the result is the overcrowding. This affects her job directly, because the close quarters mean more people get sick.

“Our building is aging, and I’m afraid not so gracefully,” she said.

Resident Paul Galluci said that although he and his wife have no children yet, they moved to East Brunswick for the schools. He urged residents to support the referendum.

“It will be our first time voting for a referendum in East Brunswick, and we look forward to a positive outcome,” he said.

Vicki Orlender, who has a daughter at Lawrence Brook, said she has volunteered in the district and has seen the problems firsthand. She said the overcrowding, leaky pipes and hallway instruction are unacceptable.

Nancy Haluska, whose children went to Lawrence Brook, said the value of properties in East Brunswick is directly linked to the quality of the schools.

East Brunswick Education Association President Catherine Schwartz also spoke in favor of the referendum, saying it is critical that students get what they need.

The board has just one more meeting scheduled prior to the referendum. The meeting will be held Dec. 2.