BOE Addresses Hurricane Irene and Back to School

The Parsippany-Troy Hills Board of Education's Thursday night meeting focused primarily on two topics: the new school year, which starts Sept. 6, and Hurricane Irene.

Buildings and Grounds Supervisor Tom Gaveglio represents the district on Parsippany's Office of Emergency Management committee. He reported to the board that systems are in place for the storm.

Gaveglio said four area schools are ready to serve as evacuation centers if needed. The mayor's office says police will make the final decision as to which buildings will be used as emergency shelters. Authorities will announce the sites when they determine it is appropriate to do so.

Once the storm passes, Gaveglio said his staff will conduct building checks.

"We have people coming Sunday to check the buildings and check for floods, roof leaks, broken windows and downed trees," he said. "We'll be on top of it all day Sunday."

Gaveglio also shared with the board the status of summer repairs to district buildings.

Parsippany High School's roof replacement, featuring 60,000 square feet of new roof, should be completed by Aug. 31, he said, as will the High's new kitchen hood exhaust system. The main parking lot's drainage problem was fixed thanks to a joint effort between the district and the township. The school also replaced an electric heating and air-conditioning unit covering the nurse's suites and science offices with a gas system.

"We're expecting to see utility savings," Gaveglio noted.

At Parsippany Hills High School, a new stage and auditorium lighting system should be finished Aug. 31, he said. Workers also completed a complete sanding and repainting of the gymnasium floor.

According to Gaveglio, "We really needed it. The lines are now legal."

Classroom and office flooring at Central Middle School is being replaced. Gaveglio said that job should be done Monday.

Already finished is a partial roof replacement at Eastlake Elementary School.

"That job was completed July 29," he said, noting that just under 7,000 square feet of roof was replaced. "We're very happy with the results so far."

Restroom renovations were needed at both Intervale and Lake Parsippany elementary schools, Gaveglio said.

"We replaced fixtures and ran new waste lines," he explained. "The systems are old, things fall into disrepair."

Lake Parsippany also had asbestos flooring removed and replaced.

Knollwood Elementary has a new boiler and accompanying system being installed. Gaveglio said the work should be "substantially complete" by Aug. 31, adding that the remaining work will not interrupt school activities.

The window and exterior door replacement that took place at Mount Tabor Elementary School was finished June 30, Gaveglio reported.

"It's been a productive summer," he said. "We'll be ready to open in September. I'm going around with the business administrators and doing final building checks. We're looking good."

The board also heard a presentation from Juan Cruz, the district's social studies and world languages supervisor on the 9/11 curriculum being introduced to students this year.

Cruz said the curriculum will provide students with age-appropriate commemoration activities designed to prevent trivialization of the solemn event. On Sept. 12, he said, students will participate in a moment of silence at 9:11 a.m. that will be preceded by a statement prepared for each grade level and shared via the public-address system.

"We have activities that are interdisciplinary that can be embedded wherever and whenever teachers feel they are most appropriate," Cruz said, adding that the activities will teach youngsters about character education and the need for rules and laws.

Cruz also congratulated the nine Parsippany teachers who participated in the creation and piloting of the 9/11 lessons.

"It's something they are extremely proud of," he said. "It will air on Sept. 11 on channel 13 at 6:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m."