School district: $16.4 million would fix buildings, athletics

HIGHTSTOWN — For $7 million, buildings could be properly maintained and upgraded over three years in the East Windsor Regional School District. For another $9.4 million, the athletic facilities would pass muster.
Those are the conclusions district Business Administrator Kurt Stumbaugh passed on to the Board of Education at its meeting Monday night. His presentation was part of the district's plan to inform taxpayers of its needs in advance of the 2007-2008 budget presentation in March.
He presented a summary of a three-year plan for capital projects at all but the new Ethel McKnight Elementary School. Voters who turned thumbs down on the last two spending measures might be asked to approve $1.9 million for capital projects next April, he said.
"In a large district like this, management has a very high priority in protecting the significant investment that the community has made in our physical plant infrastructure as well as upgrading all of our equipment," Mr. Stumbaugh said. "To defer those maintenance costs is really a short-sighted prospective."
He said neglect of facilities is common in the so-called Abbott districts in the inner cities.

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