Gallon's First BOE Meeting Tuesday
At Tuesday’s school board work and study meeting, Dr. Steve Gallon III is slated to talk about a new K-8 grade configuration, a facility projects update and a “strategic planning framework.”
The meeting is 8 p.m. in the Plainfield High School conference room. Gallon began his four-year tenure as schools superintendent July 1 and Tuesday’s meeting will be his first public session as chief school administrator.
Those close to the schools have mentioned hearing that two schools will be changed from the present K-5 set-up to a K-8 format. Currently, all students attend elementary school for grades K-5, entering Maxson or Hubbard middle schools for grades 6-8 before going on to Plainfield High School for grades 9-12. The district has experienced a 16 percent drop in enrollment in recent years, with parents frequently choosing to shift children from public education before they enter middle school. School violence and crowding have been among factors leading parents to opt out of the public schools.
The K-8 model is believed by some to better serve the needs of young adolescents, especially in urban districts. Click here for some background on the issue. In Plainfield, improved student performance and retention of families in public education are possible goals, but Dr. Gallon will speak definitively Tuesday on the proposed changes.
Use of facilities is another topic that has received a lot of informal discussion. The new Emerson School is ready to be occupied, leaving space at the “swing” school at 1700 West Front Street for another use.
Talk of shifting administrative offices from 504 Madison Avenue to the former Jefferson School at 1200 Myrtle Avenue will apparently become a reality, according to a proposed resolution on the agenda that cites moving expenses. Nassau World Wide of West Babylon, N.Y. was the successful bidder on three moving contracts. Costs cited are $4,667.55 to move furniture, supplies and equipment from the old Plainfield High School building to the Emerson swing school; $1,362.42 for the same from Emerson swing school to the new Emerson School; and $8,401.59 for the same from the Administration Building at 504 Madison to the former Jefferson School at 1200 Myrtle Avenue.
The swing school was previously used to house Clinton School during demolition and construction at the Clinton Avenue site. However, no plans for a new Jefferson School have been announced. The school at 1200 Myrtle Avenue received new heating and ventilation systems through the Schools Construction Corp., which ran out of money for numerous other projects and was replaced by the Schools Development Authority. During the tenure of former Schools Superintendent Paula Howard, Jefferson students were removed to the swing school and some administrative offices were placed at 1200 Myrtle Avenue.
The SCC failure also put in limbo plans for a new middle school, which had reached the stage of land acquisition between Grant and Plainfield avenues. Gallon will now have to deal with the SDA regarding any new school construction in Plainfield. Click here for an SDA link to information on district projects.
The third item, the strategic planning framework, sounds very significant, but Plaintalker has no advance information. The work-and-study sessions are important because that’s where the board president, superintendent and committee chairpersons often reveal newsworthy items in their remarks and discussions with the board.
The other revelations that lots of people are waiting for will not come out until the July 15 business meeting, where numerous personnel changes are expected to receive board approval. That meeting will be 7 p.m. at Washington Community School.
The meeting is 8 p.m. in the Plainfield High School conference room. Gallon began his four-year tenure as schools superintendent July 1 and Tuesday’s meeting will be his first public session as chief school administrator.
Those close to the schools have mentioned hearing that two schools will be changed from the present K-5 set-up to a K-8 format. Currently, all students attend elementary school for grades K-5, entering Maxson or Hubbard middle schools for grades 6-8 before going on to Plainfield High School for grades 9-12. The district has experienced a 16 percent drop in enrollment in recent years, with parents frequently choosing to shift children from public education before they enter middle school. School violence and crowding have been among factors leading parents to opt out of the public schools.
The K-8 model is believed by some to better serve the needs of young adolescents, especially in urban districts. Click here for some background on the issue. In Plainfield, improved student performance and retention of families in public education are possible goals, but Dr. Gallon will speak definitively Tuesday on the proposed changes.
Use of facilities is another topic that has received a lot of informal discussion. The new Emerson School is ready to be occupied, leaving space at the “swing” school at 1700 West Front Street for another use.
Talk of shifting administrative offices from 504 Madison Avenue to the former Jefferson School at 1200 Myrtle Avenue will apparently become a reality, according to a proposed resolution on the agenda that cites moving expenses. Nassau World Wide of West Babylon, N.Y. was the successful bidder on three moving contracts. Costs cited are $4,667.55 to move furniture, supplies and equipment from the old Plainfield High School building to the Emerson swing school; $1,362.42 for the same from Emerson swing school to the new Emerson School; and $8,401.59 for the same from the Administration Building at 504 Madison to the former Jefferson School at 1200 Myrtle Avenue.
The swing school was previously used to house Clinton School during demolition and construction at the Clinton Avenue site. However, no plans for a new Jefferson School have been announced. The school at 1200 Myrtle Avenue received new heating and ventilation systems through the Schools Construction Corp., which ran out of money for numerous other projects and was replaced by the Schools Development Authority. During the tenure of former Schools Superintendent Paula Howard, Jefferson students were removed to the swing school and some administrative offices were placed at 1200 Myrtle Avenue.
The SCC failure also put in limbo plans for a new middle school, which had reached the stage of land acquisition between Grant and Plainfield avenues. Gallon will now have to deal with the SDA regarding any new school construction in Plainfield. Click here for an SDA link to information on district projects.
The third item, the strategic planning framework, sounds very significant, but Plaintalker has no advance information. The work-and-study sessions are important because that’s where the board president, superintendent and committee chairpersons often reveal newsworthy items in their remarks and discussions with the board.
The other revelations that lots of people are waiting for will not come out until the July 15 business meeting, where numerous personnel changes are expected to receive board approval. That meeting will be 7 p.m. at Washington Community School.
--Bernice Paglia
posted by Bernice at 3:16 AM
1 Comments:
Very interesting. Where was the resolution/ bids to pay for the construction taking place at the old Jefferson.
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