Construction projects on track for fall; board welcomes new hires and accepts retirements

The Metuchen Board of Education received construction and personnel reports at its April 29 meeting. A construction committee update said major referendum projects remain on schedule for the coming school year and that some high-school work, including the gym, is expected to finish later in the fall.

Committee chair Mr. Glassberg said heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) and other systems are slated to be in place for September, with the high-school gym expected to be completed "approximately" in late December and the cafeteria nearing final inspection. "Air conditioning is on track for September-ish at all of the schools," Glassberg said, asking for patience as newly installed systems are calibrated.

Campbell School and Moss School construction items were described as progressing on schedule: playground paving and landscaping were expected over the summer, and insulation, veneer and window work at Moss were underway. The committee noted electrical and switch-gear work and said some temporary electrical hookups will support operations at the start of the school year while final switch gear arrives.

During the meeting the board also approved multiple personnel actions, including the hiring of new classroom and counseling staff and the acceptance of a retirement. Dr. Caputo introduced five new hires who appeared at the meeting: Willow Brown (Campbell second-grade teacher), Christy Marietta (student assistant counselor / leave replacement), Danielle Pallotta (full-day kindergarten teacher at Moss), Emily Vanderhoff (first-grade teacher at Campbell), and Danielle Wright (Moss school counselor). Each new hire spoke briefly; Willow Brown said, "I'm very excited to be joining the team at Campbell School as a second grade teacher the upcoming year."

The board also accepted the retirement of Deborah Fendon, who the administration said had served 20 years as the business administrator's administrative assistant. The personnel slate and related motions were approved by roll call.

The construction committee reported that closed-session discussions reviewed remaining funds, potential change orders, contractor communications and soil testing; next public construction meetings were scheduled for May 19 and June 16 in the high-school library.

Ending: Board committee chairs said the projects remain on schedule but noted ongoing work on punch-list items and coordination with contractors; the personnel approvals will be reflected in the district's posted personnel actions and the administration said it will follow up on onboarding for the newly hired staff.