ONCE AGAIN: State Says $66 Million Middle School Will Be Built in Gloucester City

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ONCE AGAIN: State Says $66 Million Middle School Will Be Built in Gloucester City

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

By Linda Boker-Angelo

NEWS Correspondent

Representatives from the NJ Schools Development Authority (SDA) last week presented the Gloucester City Board of Education (BOE) with a status update on plans for the proposed new middle school.

Senior Project Manager David Markunas said the $66 million project has been revised to allow for construction of a 129,400 square foot building which would accommodate up to 869 students.

Photo: Former Gloucester City School Superintendent Mary Stansky posing at the proposed site for the new middle school three years ago.

He said the SDA has decided to look for a new architect, and projected that the new design contract will be awarded by April 2010, with the construction contract to be awarded by December 2011.

The new school is slated to open by September 2014.

As far as state funding, SDA Regional Director Victor Perla said that, at this point, the SDA has been told to move forward with this project.

“We’re pretty excited to be working with you on this project,” he said.

The BOE also heard presentations by student representatives from each of the district’s schools.

Tracey Oehlert, 16, said she began attending classes at the Highland Park Program for Success last year, and last week was her second appearance before the BOE. In an eloquent speech, Oehlert extolled the program’s virtues and said math is her best subject.

Principal Victoria Ernst said she is doing well in all of her classes.

Senior Eryn Quinn spoke for Gloucester City High. A member of the school’s basketball and softball teams, and a volunteer at the Ronald McDonald House, Quinn reported on many of the upcoming holiday events scheduled to take place at GHS.

Sixth grader Holly Porter of Mary Ethel Costello School was described by Principal Ken Wagstaff as “one of the most popular students in the building,” and “very dependable.”

Porter said she enjoys reading and writing and playing softball and field hockey. She will play the hand chimes in this year’s school holiday musical.

Cold Springs School Assistant Principal Karen Kessler described third grader Sebastian Torgun, 8, as an all-around good kid and “always eager.”

Torgun outlined upcoming festivities at Cold Springs, and said he likes bowling and wants to be a professional baseball player when he grows up.

Superintendent Paul Spaventa said Janet Kauffman, Director of Technology, will make a presentation on the district’s exemplary use of Moodle in the classroom next month at the NJ Association of School Administrators Techspo.

Spaventa also praised the Brooks-Irvine Memorial Football Club, which recognizes deserving young athletes who participate in South Jersey Scholastic Football. The club awarded the GHS Football team with the Sportsmanship Award December 14.

The BOE will meet again at 7 p.m. Thursday, January 7 for a caucus session. The next regular meeting will be Tuesday, January 12 at 7 p.m. in the media center of Gloucester High School.