The following are letters to the editor from residents in our Feb. 24 to March 1 edition, in alphabetical order:
Dear Editor,
Haddonfield schools are definitely in need of repair. There is no question about that. However, many of the projects included in the March 8 bond referendum are not necessary. Some of the projects, for example the more than $2 million for upgraded climate control system for the high school, will not fix the problems that need addressing. Other projects, for example nearly $1 million for new windows at Elizabeth Haddon and Tatem elementary schools, will not generate anywhere near the savings required for a reasonable payback.
Certainly, there are problems that need to be addressed now, and we should approve the monies required for those projects.
Just two years ago, the Board of Education stated $7 million would be required for essential repairs, now it is $35 million. Clearly $35 million is not required at this time. A smaller bond, addressing only essential items, could be prepared for a vote in September and still achieve the anticipated 2017 construction start date. In a few years, if additional capital improvements are indicated, another bond referendum could be proposed.
Another major concern is how the schools got in their current poor condition. It is clear that water intrusion due to poor roof maintenance, inattention to proper drainage and failure to address problems when they were first observed are the reasons. I share the recommendation of others that a citizens advisory board made up of qualified professionals with experience in building systems be created to advise the board. Additionally, it seems that some kind of upgrade of maintenance management of our schools is needed.
I urge my fellow citizens to vote “no” for this bond referendum, knowing it does not mean you don’t want to improve our school facilities, but only that you want to do it in a more responsible manner.
For more information on why this bond referendum should be rejected, please visit haddonfieldcurb.com, a website prepared by a citizens group, CURB — Citizens Urging a Responsible Bond.
Steve Ahrens
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Dear Editor,
A group opposing the school bond referendum is spreading the idea that we should be supporting smaller and separate bonds. This suggestion is irresponsible — there is no smaller bond option available. This is a risky political move, and our children are getting caught in the crossfire.
We have a school that’s being held with temporary braces and netting to catch falling debris. I cannot believe that “what’s the rush?” is even part of their argument. For heaven’s sake, we can’t continue to subject our children to this.
It also makes no sense to me that people are spending time trying to point fingers at who did things wrong decades ago. What’s the point? The current Board of Education members were not in place during that time. Maintenance has been deferred, and it is time to stop putting it off.
This current board has spent more than two years doing extensive research in conjunction with people who are experts in the field. There is even a BOE member who has 20 years of experience as a school architect. There are people with expertise working on this.
There has also been a group of parent engineers who independently reviewed the plans and concur with the assessment. How much more needs to be done? There are real and pressing needs.
The BOE has whittled away items that I really wish we could give to our children to take an $80 million estimate down to $35 million. They have done this in response to public feedback. They are being fiscally responsible and only suggesting projects that are essential to keep our schools standing. There’s nothing left to take away from our children. They have also suggested a plan to ensure our schools don’t get to this level of disrepair again.
We need to unite as a town and do what’s right for our children. We’ve got a civic responsibility. Other towns, such as Haddon Township, Cinnaminson and Moorestown, have passed similar referendums in the past two years. How can a town such as Haddonfield turn its back on our children and not do the same?
Linda Hochgertel
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Dear Editor,
We would like to thank the numerous people who contributed to making the Annual LEO Club’s Valentine’s Senior Citizens Party a huge success. The Haddonfield Memorial High School LEO Club’s students who participated, decorated, served food, danced and entertained the senior citizens, deserve a standing ovation. Each year, the students put so much enthusiasm, hard work and fun into this party that each senior in attendance has such a fun afternoon. Krista Wesley and Richard Eastwick were in charge of the event and made sure the party ran smoothly and all the senior citizens had a wonderful time.
We thank the students’ parents for their delicious food donations. Mavis Dolbow and her dancers entertain and encourage everyone to get out on the dance floor. A thank you is also needed to Denise Sellers and the students of the Haddonfield Child Care Program for their wonderful party favors and heartfelt valentine cards for each of the attendees.
We also appreciate Emily Vendrick and her Haddonfield Friends School second-grade class for their valentines and homemade party decorations. We appreciate the support of the Lions Club and the Haddonfield Board of Education for allowing our event to be held in the Tatem School cafeteria.
This event is one the senior citizens of Haddonfield look forward to each February and that is thanks to everyone who helps in a large or small way to make it a special Valentines celebration. Thanks so much!
Nancy McCrudden
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Dear Editor,
As a resident of Haddonfield since 2013 and parent of a first grader, I want to ask the residents something that I ask myself nearly every day as a guide toward a purpose in life. How do you want to be remembered? How will you pay it forward? Now, before you can answer, it’s important to clarify some of the claims recently written about.
First, some prefer to “wait until September and vote on a smaller bond” that would cover only the “essential repairs.” Please note the original scope of the referendum totaled roughly $80 million. It already has been diluted to only the essential repairs.
The current referendum in totality is just more than $35 million, which the state will contribute roughly 30 percent, thus reducing our overall burden. Waiting until September will only delay the repairs, which won’t start until mid-2017 as it is. Why an additional delay? Because nothing can happen unless something is passed. Vote this down now only to vote “yes” in September will mean a construction start sometime in early 2018.
Secondly, it’s simply not true to believe this current proposal includes “nice-to-haves” others went without. Anyone thinking this proposal includes “nice-to-haves” simply isn’t properly informed. That is, of course, unless you feel electrical outlets and improving electrical systems to handle additional loads due to technology requirements, a roof that doesn’t leak and additional safety and security items are “nice-to-haves.”
Granted, when I was in school, I did without the safety and security measures, including lockdown drills. In today’s world, going without updated safety and security items to protect children is reckless. I for one don’t want to be that resident who votes this down only to witness a security breach or an electrical fire because of a lack of modern systems. I won’t be that resident.
I have also read countless opinions that berate previous board members for not knowing the extent of the repairs needed for our schools earlier. These opinions imply negligence, misappropriation of funds, etc. What have we become?
It’s enough. I am reminded of a quote by George Bernard Shaw which reads, “We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future.”
How do you want to be remembered? Are you going to be the one who helps pass this referendum in its entirety so we can move forward? Vote “yes” and look every child in the eye and say, “my legacy is to unselfishly support you, our future, just as those before me did for us. My legacy is to pay it forward.”
Like you, I have been fortunate that others before me made the decision to support the causes and referendums that positively impacted my life. I am grateful to the generations before me that made great financial investments to ensure future generations could have better lives, and also pay it forward.
We moved here in 2013 for the schools … for the sense of community. Let’s come together as a community, vote “yes” and proudly be able to tell the students on March 8 that we are happy to pay it forward. Let’s become wise through the responsibility of our future.
Matt Ritter
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Dear Editor,
As a lifelong resident of Haddonfield and a product of the school system, I can attest to the quality of the education offered within our town. The excellence of the school system has been recognized on a statewide and national basis. To be expected, the investments in curriculum and staff are priorities for budget dollars, however this should not be at the expense of maintaining the normal wear and tear of our public properties.
As a former COO and business owner, managing the physical assets was a primary responsibility. What has transpired with the long-term neglect of our school facilities represents a flagrant lack of fiscal duty.
The very photos provided by the school board and expanded upon by resident engineer Walter Delengowski indicated clearly the long-term neglect in the maintenance of our school buildings. The deterioration did not happen overnight, and therefore it seems apparent that maintenance has been a low priority and passed on from one school board to the next. This sounds very similar to what transpired with the infrastructure of our water systems, where the responsibility for required maintenance was deferred to a point where the hole was so deep we were forced to sell the asset.
As a result, the residents of Haddonfield are now being requested to approve a $35 million bond to rectify much of what could have been prevented with routine annual maintenance and the proper attention to asset management within the annual operating budget.
The school board’s referendum website suggests that going forward, more dollars will be allocated within the annual budget for expanded maintenance including an annual inspection by an outside professional. The concern I have is that our school board(s) have a poor track record when it comes to accountability for facilities management. What faith can I have that this substantial investment will be protected over the longer haul? From my perspective, I want to know exactly what the extent of the appropriations will be and where and how they will be spent before I’m willing to vote in favor of a bond.
Clearly, an investment to restore our facilities and prevent further deterioration is required, however is the extent of improvements as urgent as suggested? The following statement can be found within the bond referendum website: “If voters reject the critical restoration needs, the school board will likely consider what might pass on a September re-do and what could be altered to increase the chances of success.”
Such a statement suggests that there are line item projects that can be modified or perhaps eliminated. Why hasn’t this been the consideration all along? Is the school board being as candid or transparent as to what the resident financiers deserve? If I’m going to be asked to accept an increase in my taxes, I want to be certain that my tax dollars are utilized in the most economical and efficient manner.
For instance, it is a fact that windows do not have a major impact on energy savings. As explained by our resident engineer, the energy issues within our school buildings has to do with the configuration of our boiler systems and having the proper climate controls. So the budget dollars being allocated to windows represent a minimal return on the investment and an unnecessary expenditure, especially when you examine the satisfactory condition of the existing windows. This is just one example of where the bond could be reduced ,and there are many others.
I encourage every resident to visit the CURB website, www.haddonfieldcurb.com, to learn more about why the residents of Haddonfield must not approve this bond as it will appear on the March 8 ballot. Defeating the referendum will force the school board to present a more realistic and affordable request in September.
Jon Simonson
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Dear Editor,
On March 8, voters will be presented with the School Facilities Bond Referendum. The referendum is structured as three separate questions. It is important to understand what your vote on each question will mean for our children.
Question 1 addresses critical structural repairs required in our schools. A comprehensive assessment of district facilities revealed many structural deficiencies, including damaged masonry with eroding mortar joints — components that literally keep the buildings standing. Some areas have already required immediate, emergency repairs, but they are only temporary (approximately 18 months). The projects proposed in Question 1 involve repairs required to ensure the safety of our children. These are not frivolous or non-essential projects, as some have suggested. Sound infrastructure in the buildings that house our children for most of the day is a basic need. We should all be committed to providing this.
Question 2 addresses air conditioning in all schools. Extreme temperatures (over 90 degrees recorded in some classrooms) in old buildings where windows cannot be opened in some classrooms (as they also present a safety threat due to compromised sash stability) create environmental conditions that interfere with learning and pose health threats for many of our children.
Question 3 addresses the disrepair and structural failings of our high school track and stadium. The track must be resurfaced to remain usable. If we don’t repair it, our athletes will have to use other towns’ facilities, resulting in significant usage and transportation costs to our district. Additionally, the stadium has structural damage. A “no” vote on question 3 will result in restricted use of the stadium.
Voting “yes” on all three questions approves the entire bond. Voting “yes” on Question 1 and “no” on Questions 2 and/or 3 will result in approval of Question 1 only.
For the safety of our children, understand what a “yes” and a “no” vote will mean when you go to the polls on March 8.
Aimee Subramanian
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Dear Editor,
I was both troubled and bemused by a recent full-page advertisement in another Haddonfield paper that took aim at a long-time resident who had expressed in a letter to the editor of this paper her concerns about the Board of Education’s upcoming $35 million bond referendum.
The ad went out of its way to accuse the resident of spreading “false and misleading statements.” Yet, contrary to the charge leveled by the ad, it is the ad itself that is guilty as charged.
Case in point: In its very first paragraph, the ad attacks the resident’s statement that the bond would cost Haddonfield residents $35 million. The ad claims, “the cost to taxpayers will be under $22 million — a very significant difference.” Indeed, a cost of $22 million would be a “very significant difference,” if only it were a true statement.
The problem is that the ad writer forgot to consider the pesky little reality called “interest,” namely the approximately $12 million in interest that Haddonfield residents would also have to bear for this bond. Those interest payments bring the total cost of the bond for Haddonfield residents from the approximately $22 million claimed in the ad to approximately $35 million. The ad’s omission of that key cost is like claiming that your $2,000 mortgage really costs only $1,400 because you can just ignore the $600 in interest.
After that thud of an opener, the ad quickly goes downhill to the end. It states, for example, that Haddonfield residents are “not alone” in considering expensive school bonds and suggests that we should take comfort in the fact that Moorestown recently passed a big one.
Is the ad writer not aware that the Moorestown school district and budget are nearly twice the size of Haddonfield’s? And that Moorestown’s public schools are supported by a large commercial tax base that includes Fortune 500 companies such as Lockheed Martin and gargantuan commercial ratables such as those attached to the Moorestown Mall?
The ad also claims that we must spend $1 million on upgrades to the high school stadium to bring the structure “up to code.” My understanding is that the stadium is a grandfathered structure, generally exempt from current codes. Also claimed is that preparation for commencement of work under the bond could take up to 15 months, when in fact other large school facilities bonds in Haddonfield have taken much less time. At any rate, most of the projects in the bond wouldn’t start until the summer of 2017 anyway.
A visit to Haddonfieldcurb.com might help the ad writer evaluate the bond more accurately for voters. And, he might be inclined to modify his conclusion to a more logical “vote no” — I say as a strong supporter of our schools who wants to see money spent wisely, and who is looking forward to a more responsible bond from the BOE soon.
Walter Weidenbacher
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Dear Editor,
For months, the Haddonfield Board of Education has been investigating the safety of our schools. By November of this past year, it was able to isolate the most crucial needs to repair, and it presented its recommendations along with the estimated costs to the public. We commend Superintendent Richard Perry, Business Administrator John C. Oberg, Board President Glenn Moramarco and members of the BOE for assuming such a difficult task, and for being so thoughtful and transparent with their work.
The children and staff in the Haddonfield public school district spend the majority of their days within these buildings, which are in great need of repair. Over the years, we have observed some improvements, which have helped to repair immediate concerns. Now, however, the community has the opportunity to invest in these buildings to provide for a safer and more stable learning environment.
Our district motto has been “Growing in Excellence,” and we have continued to offer that excellence despite conditions that could be hazardous and unhealthy.
Here is a list of some of the many concerns for our students and staff:
• Leaking roofs in classrooms, offices and the high school auditorium. This creates an environment conducive to mold and deterioration.
• Frequently damaged classroom supplies, student work and extracurricular materials from these leaks.
• Windows without screens and windows that cannot open/shut properly, both allow water and insects to enter the classroom.
• The walls of the HMHS BGym and cafeteria are literally crumbling. Other rooms in that wing are shut down, having been deemed unsafe for student use.
• Sidewalks, staircases and entryways that are not ADA compliant (accessible to those with physical needs).
• Outdated communication systems that do not allow for safe and swift notification in emergencies. During emergency announcements, some classrooms and student areas could be left vulnerable.
• Lack of air conditioning in many classrooms makes learning very difficult, especially for students with allergies and asthma. Temperatures often reach 95 degrees indoors in May, June and September.
We believe the BOE has investigated the source of these problems and has narrowed its focus to an essential list of improvements at a reasonable price, especially in comparison to local districts.
According to the New Jersey School Boards Association, Haddon Township, Cinnaminson and Moorestown all passed referendums in 2014 between $33.2 million and $40.2 million. The board has presented a very reasonable scope for this project, and it has been mindful of the costs and has already reduced them drastically from the earliest stages of the process. In addition, by law, the district is restricted to a 2 percent cap on its annual budget to cover all increases in benefits, energy, supplies, etc.; this limitation makes it impossible to do these building projects within the normal operating budget. Furthermore, if the referendum passes, the state will provide up to 40 percent of the funding, a tremendous savings for taxpayers.
From September through June, more than 2,800 students and staff are regularly in these facilities. That number increases with community members attending athletic events, musicals, plays, concerts, Adult School classes, First Night festivities, Memorial Day services and the Fourth of July fireworks. Even for those Haddonfield residents without children in the K-12 program, the buildings serve multiple purposes and have become central to the town’s needs.
We would not maintain our own homes this way: the problems simply must be fixed. We can repair them now or later, but the longer we wait, the worse the problems become and the more expensive it will be to fix them. We encourage all community members to attend an information session and to visit the referendum website (www.HaddonfieldBondReferendum.com) to learn more about the specific needs for each building.
We take pride in the accomplishments of our students and staff. Why would we not give them a safe, sturdy place to learn? We are not talking about luxuries. These are matters of structural integrity, safety and health. Please support our schools, students and staff on March 8.
Jamie Vermaat and Corinne Welsh
Co-Presidents of the Haddonfield Education Association
