New Committee Discussed At Work Session
By Stephanie Mariel Petrellese

Anxious to get the ball rolling on further study into the possibility of issuing a bond to fund capital improvements in the district, the Garden City Board of Education laid out expectations for ad-hoc committee members at their January 14th work session.

One of the committee's primary responsibilities will be to decide what improvements the bond should cover. Members should tour every building and meet with Central Administration to discuss curriculum issues that will drive the need for more and/or updated facilities. The committee will also study the latest demographic report, which is expected to be released at the end of the month.

School Board President Kenneth Monaghan said they would like the committee to have their first meeting in early to mid February and meet several times a week, and at least one to two weekends, until June. He expects the committee will be ready to present a preliminary plan by the end of the school year, and a more formal proposal, with recommendations, by the beginning of the 2008 school year. The earliest a bond vote would take place would be spring of 2009.

The committee will have no legal authority, and will solely offer advice to the Board after thorough review of the entire issue. They will also be responsible for reaching out to the public to explain what and why improvements are needed based on their research.

The members have not been decided yet; in November, the Board asked the property owners' associations to nominate one or two people. They also reached out to the PTA and SEPTA. They are looking for residents with experience in architecture, finance and/or construction, or who have a familiarity with district buildings.

The last time the school district sought public approval for a capital improvement bond was in 1998. The bond totaled $37,856,000.

Monaghan said the school board has to also decide whether to stay with architects Peter Gisolfi Associates. The school district used the firm for previous construction projects but were not totally satisfied with their work. Monaghan has recommended that the district hire a construction manager to oversee the entire project.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Robert Feirsen suggested the Board also look into environmentally friendly initiatives, such as installing state-of-the-art geothermal heating and cooling systems.