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Fanwood and Scotch Plains officials outline Jan. 28 referendum to buy La Grande School and fund upgrades
Summary
Mayors Colleen Marr and Josh Losarto and Board of Education leaders said a two-question Jan. 28 ballot would let the district buy La Grande School, free nine classrooms in existing elementary schools and fund HVAC, electrical and fire-safety upgrades; officials said $11.4 million in state aid would offset much of the cost.
Colleen Marr, mayor of Fanwood, sat down with Scotch Plains Mayor Josh Losarto and members of the Scotch Plains-Fanwood Board of Education on a community video to explain a two-question referendum that will appear on the Jan. 28 ballot.
Dr. Joan Mass, who leads the Board of Education, said the district’s elementary schools are ‘‘at capacity and beyond’’ and that ‘‘there isn't 1 extra classroom in any of our elementary schools,’’ forcing the district to use multipurpose spaces and stagger lunches. She said moving preschool programs into the La Grande School would free nine classrooms across the district.
‘‘The La Grande School would allow us to take our current preschool classes … and it would open up nine classroom spaces,’’ Dr. Mass said, describing how the purchase would create room for dedicated music rooms and normal classroom schedules.
The Jan. 28 ballot will…
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