School district vows to open on time

Published in the Asbury Park Press 9/02/04

By RODNEY POINT-DU-JOUR
KEYPORT BUREAU

ABERDEEN -- Despite ongoing construction at the high school and middle school, the 2004-05 school year at the Matawan-Aberdeen Regional School District is expected to start next Thursday.

At Matawan Regional High School, an $8.4-million project for classroom upgrades is nearly completed, and at Matawan Avenue Middle School, a $15.2-million project for 10 new classrooms and a gymnasium is being constructed, said Bruce Quinn, the district superintendent.

The two building improvements, which are part of a district-wide $38.5-million construction project, are expected to continue as school reopens next Thursday, Quinn said.

Officials already moved yesterday's scheduled opening to Sept. 9 because of ongoing contract talks between administrators and the Matawan Teachers Association, the district's union, but the school year is expected to begin next Thursday despite rumors about postponing students' return from summer vacation. The contract expired in June.

"All summer we've been getting these rumors that we're not starting on time, and it's so untrue," Quinn said. "We knew what we were dealing with and we planned for it."

The district has already completed $8.8 million in improvements at the Cliffwood Avenue, Lloyd Road, Ravine Drive and Strathmore elementary schools.

The district-wide improvements are part of a $38.5-million building project, which was in a referendum approved by voters in 2002.

At the high school, there are currently seven classrooms that will be closed during construction. The district expects to get four classrooms back within the next two weeks and the other three by October, which would complete the major portion of the construct project. Students would temporarily be in larger class sizes, he said.

At the middle school, the district is down five classrooms. Construction at that building is expected to last all year, Quinn said.

When the project is complete, officials are expected to remove the classroom trailers at Matawan Avenue in the spring, which is also the state-mandated deadline for the district to stop using the trailers.

School is expected to start next Thursday with two half-day sessions -- as planned, Quinn said.

"We knew what we were facing with construction, and we knew we wouldn't be ready," Quinn said. "We're right where we anticipated we would be."

Carol Smith, 45, of Brookside Avenue in Aberdeen, a mother of five children, said she's skeptical about school starting on time, even with reassurances from administrators.

"I just don't believe it," said Smith, who will have a fourth-grader at Lloyd Road and a junior at the high school. "I'll see it when my kids are at school on (Sept. 9).

"I'll believe it when I see it."

Rodney Point-Du-Jour: (732) 888-2619 or rpoint@app.com