Dear Editor:
As the school district and its consultants continue to work on its facilities referendum proposal, now projected as a March date, we appreciate the attention the public has brought to our school buildings’ deferred maintenance both at recent hearings and for the past several years. Civic engagement and input take many forms in a community that is as involved and caring as ours. Implicit in much of the challenging commentary directed at the district in media and at meetings is an underlying concern for these publicly owned assets, a desire to see wise planning for maintenance projects and expenditures, and a recognition of the unquestionable importance of the continued safe function of our school buildings.
In hindsight, after professional inspections, we realize public input was not as well considered as it could have been when residents previously called attention to deferred maintenance on the existing facilities. It is to the credit of these residents that they have continued to shine a light on these issues and urged the board to carefully investigate, evaluate and prioritize needs, with time for consideration of public input, before approving the current referendum proposal.
Yes, issues of deferred infrastructure maintenance exist nationally and statewide, but it is our local responsibility to address the issues here. We realize this district can improve its practices and planning. Prior to the next referendum date, the board aims to develop new policies addressing maintenance and inspection. We thank the public again for its assistance, concern and patience as we strive to make wise decisions about our facilities.
Glenn Moramarco
President, Haddonfield Board of Education
