School board thanks community for Capital Project approval

The December 6 Monroe-Woodbury School District Board of Education meeting was filled with praise and gratitude for the general public for their approval of the Capital Project. According to the school district, 1,168 ballots were cast as part of the referendum for improvements to virtually every building within the school district on a multitude of levels; 878 people voted in favor of the referendum while 290 people voted no. With 1,168 ballots cast, that represented a 75% approval rating for the school district. During a recent inspection of Central Valley Elementary, it was noted that the two boilers in the school are from 1982 and 1992, respectively, and need to be replaced. “And because of the vote last night, they will be redone.”

The Photo News spoke with Assistant Superintendent for Business and Management Services Patrick F. Cahill, to provide an update to the community about how the board plans to execute the project in the coming months.

“The schedule and phasing of the project is not yet finalized. We have a tentative schedule but that will need to be thoroughly reviewed and vetted by our construction manager; we will begin that work in early January. Generally, we will try to have level spending in each of the four years of construction with a focus in the first year on the security vestibules, roof/masonry work, and fire alarms. Subsequent years would begin the more complex HVAC work and continue with roof replacements, fire alarm improvements, and electrical systems upgrades.”

We also asked Mr. Cahill, if there was anything else he’d like to share with the voters and larger Monroe-Woodbury community concerning the passing of the referendum. “The District is truly grateful to the residents of the District and school community for approving and supporting the referendum. We used every available communication tool at our disposal to educate the community about the need for the project, the benefits of the project, the process, and financial plan. We will continue that communication process as the project unfolds with updates on progress and project milestones.”

Other business

Superintendent Elise Rodriguez will return at the next Board of Education meeting in January after being away due to illness. The Board of Education also stressed to follow their respective social media channels to see some of the activities that are happening for students. One example given was the Voice Ensemble performing at Radio City Music Hall and arriving at “The Showplace of the Nation” on a Monroe-Woodbury bus. Finally, the board noted that the Board of Education Policy Committee meetings are open to the public and people are encouraged to participate.