P'burg
School District waits for word on building
funds
Friday, November 25, 2005 • By
SARAH CASSI • The Express-Times
PHILLIPSBURG | School officials are
playing the waiting game after the state Supreme Court heard
the district argue for the restoration of funding for a
proposed high school.
Attorney Richard Shapiro petitioned the
Supreme Court in September on behalf of Phillipsburg and the
12 other Abbott school districts he represents, seeking
funding for projects approved by the state Department of
Education. The court heard arguments Nov. 7.
"I don't know when we're going to get a
decision," Shapiro said. "I'm hoping they expedite it. If
they don't, it could drag on into next year."
Shapiro said the court did not allow oral
arguments from him, but heard arguments from David Sciarra,
executive director of the Education Law Center. The court
did accept a packet of information Shapiro
submitted.
"It's unfortunate," Shapiro said. "I
think the major points were made."
During the court proceedings New Jersey
Schools Construction Corp. officials were asked how much
funding would be needed to complete the approved projects
statewide. Shapiro said SCC officials told the court they
would need six months to gather that information.
"One would have thought they could get
that information much quicker," Shapiro said.
Phillipsburg is one of New Jersey's 31
Abbott school districts, poor districts named after court
decisions ordering equitable per-pupil financing. Abbott
status requires the state to cover all of its Department of
Education-approved construction costs, therefore, the
district expected the SCC -- a state agency formed by former
Gov. James McGreevey -- to pay for Phillipsburg's new high
school.
Phillipsburg and other Abbott districts
were left in the lurch when the SCC revealed it had only
enough left of a $6 billion fund to finance 59 of an
anticipated 350 projects statewide.
Despite Phillipsburg's Abbott status, the
state agency announced July 27 it decided against plans to
pay for the high school with portions of the last $1.4
billion of the special fund.
"There's no question this was a shock.
Everybody was celebrating the fact that the project was
moving forward, then we received that letter at the end of
July and it just took the wind out of a lot of
sails.
"When you look at the fact that 200 other
projects were stopped, maybe, to some degree there's hope in
numbers. There's no way New Jersey can stop the construction
of 200 schools that need to be completed," said
Superintendent Gordon Pethick.
While school officials wait to see if
funding will be available for the proposed $88 million
Phillipsburg High School, the project's schedule is
extended. Pethick said bidding for the project was
originally scheduled for over the summer, with construction
starting in November and the school opening in September
2008.
"As the clock goes by, you're moving into
2009," Pethick said.
Pethick said in the coming weeks he will
have to address the potential for student increases at the
current high school.
"We are looking at that right now to see
if we can absorb the students into classes. Almost 45
percent of our students are out in trailers at this point.
If you have an influx of another 50 kids, let's say, then
you have to say 'Do I need a trailer, or can I adjust those
around the trailers I have?' That's what we have to look
at," Pethick said. "I don't want to put more trailers unless
I'm in a drastic situation for needing them."
Pethick said he would like to see those
responsible for the SCC's funding debacle held accountable,
but the high school project comes first.
"Sitting back for a two- or three-year
investigation and some white paper on what happened doesn't
help Phillipsburg. We need a school. I do hope that they of
course take a look at that and if there was any
misappropriation that that's dealt with," Pethick said.
"Right now, that's not my primary concern. My primary
concern is getting a school built."
Reporter Sarah Cassi can be reached at 610-258-7171 or by
e-mail at scassi@express-times.com.
© 2005 The Express-Times. Used with
permission.
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