Referendum critics challenged to ‘take the tour'

With the vote approaching, residents have a chance to see for themselves, By Fran Hardy SPARTA - “Sparta High School, OK the way it is?” Large banners flap in the breeze on several corners in downtown Sparta, reminding residents that if they want an answer to this question they should “TAKE THE TOUR.” With less than two weeks left before the town votes “yes” or “no” to the proposed school reconstruction plan, campaigns have shifted to high gear. The high school began hosting public tours last spring. Officials say since that time, several hundred Sparta residents have strolled the halls for a student’s eye view of the facility. One more tour is scheduled for today at 1 p.m. and a final information session is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 18 from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. in the high school cafeteria. Architects, engineers, and school officials will be on hand to answer questions and address concerns. First things first If the referendum passes, there is a plan in place in order to get the ball rolling. •The first step would be to secure all building permits. In the meantime, the district can request portable classrooms from the state in which to hold students during construction. These could arrive as early as spring of 2007. In some states, portables are used as the primary method to solve school overcrowding and they can often remain on site for years. New Jersey allows portables only on a temporary basis when there is an approved renovation or new school construction plan in place. •Before the portables can be placed, however, plans will have to be made for alternative parking areas and traffic flow for cars and buses. Superintendent Dr. Thomas Morton says that a civil engineer would be brought in, to effectively design these areas before any changes are made. •Concerned first about safety and security, he said, “I am adamant about a safe and purposeful design before we proceed. Nonetheless, parking will be a challenge.” •By early summer of 2007, work would begin by demolishing the section of the building known as “the pods.” Officials hope as much work as possible could be done during summer breaks and school vacations. Step by step Sophomore Anna O’Toole wonders where students will be without the pods. She said, “Where would we go? Where will we have class if they take those down?” •The plan is for students to attend classes in portables in the front of the building and in various core spaces, such as the auditorium, media center, or gym, while a two story, 24 classroom addition is built in place of the pods. •When these rooms are completed, students would be moved into them while work begins on the large core spaces. Some of the portables would remain but could be moved to another part of the site as the construction area changes. •The final phase would involve the interior spaces. This would include renovation and retooling of these areas, but not demolition. By this point, the new classroom wing and the new core spaces would be complete. Students and staff will have to be patient and flexible regarding all the temporary accommodations if the reconstruction plan is approved. Officials say there may be some inconveniences for all involved, but every effort will be made to work with contractors and engineers to move from phase to phase as smoothly as possible. Susan Bothfeld, parent of two Sparta High School graduates, attended high school in Hillsdale, New Jersey, while the building was being reconstructed. She said, “I spent my junior and senior years with construction going on, but honestly, it wasn’t an issue. It was always blocked off from us. Besides, we were kids, we just went with the flow.” The proposed resurfacing of the athletic fields, if approved, would take approximately one year to complete. The fields could be used by the students as well as the community before the rest of the project is completed. Sixth grader Ben Baragar is excited about the prospect of a brand new high school by the time he is a freshman. “It’ll be so cool; I hope we have it by then,” he said. “I don’t really like the one now. It makes you feel all trapped, like a jail.” Eric Lovero, a seventh grader, hopes to have at least three years in a new high school. “They should start to build it right now,” he said, “because the longer they wait, the older and more run down the building gets.” If all else fails . . . When asked what would happen if the referendum does not pass, Dr. Kathleen Monks, assistant superintendent for curriculum said in essence, all else did fail. “This is ‘Plan B,’” she said. Principal Richard Lio is optimistic about the outcome of the referendum. But whether his students will face a few years of construction inconvenience if the referendum passes, or more years of overcrowding if it does not, he said, “I want all our students, whether incoming freshmen or graduating seniors, to have a great experience at this school.” He said he always tells students and staff, “We learn from the past, we create the future, but we deal with the present.”