West Deptford BOE Discusses Infrastructure Upgrade Costs

A little over a month after touring the facilities at West Deptford High School and discussing possible upgrades, the West Deptford Board of Education attached a price tag to some of those ideas.

The plans discussed during the Monday night board meeting separated out the cost of kindergarten upgrades and turf installation from the cost of the rest of the project.

Options discussed included:

• Funding the cost of all upgrades using the regular budget and paying as it goes at an estimated cost of slightly less than $14 million;
• Upgrading the football field and kindergarten program through the general budget and acquiring additional grant and bond money for $13.5 million to $14.6 million those extra improvements would require;
• Funding the cost of all upgrades, including to the kindergarten program and the football stadium, using bond money at an estimated cost of nearly $20 million.

The working figures for the capital improvements included an assumed 3-percent interest rate and a bond term of about 20 years.

The estimated tax impact on township residents would be greater without the use of bond funds.

Board of Education President Christopher Strano said that if the district uses bonds and grants to pay for the project, that debt could eventually be paid off. However, once the cost of the operating budget is increased, it can’t be reduced.

“We retired over $1 million in debt last year,” Strano said. “We used it for a purpose and it went away. If we use bonds, the debt eventually goes away. Once we increase the budget, it can’t be decreased again.”

Superintendent Kevin Kitchenman said that if the project were to be fully funded by its operating budget, it would have to go up for a vote because the figure would exceed the 2-percent cap.

That decision will be made by the Board of Education following its reorganization meeting on Jan. 6. The proposal will then be the subject of public hearings after being presented to community groups.

Although the district maintains that school security improvements are the focus of these upgrades, board members recognized that the suggestion of introducing an artificial turf football field could be somewhat controversial.

The cost to install turf on the football field and one existing practice field is estimated to be $1,837,500. The estimated cost doesn’t include that of lights and seating for the converted practice field.

The district is open to the idea of installing turf on just the stadium field, and recognizes it may not be able to install turf at all.

“A turf field would be able to be used by the whole community,” Strano said.

Kitchenman added the field could be used by the football, field hockey, and boys and girls soccer and lacrosse teams, as well as by community organizations and the public at large.

Board member Lisa Eckley stated during the meeting that the board must make sure all costs are included so the public can make informed decisions.

“We could get approval for the second field and play without lights until we get them,” Board Member Thomas Lee suggested.

Other suggested upgrades included the installation of two new science labs.

Previously, the board discussed reconfiguring the main entrance to the high school, including double doors and a “cattle chute” that would lead those entering the school directly into its main office.

The board also discussed the possible replacement of the fence surrounding the perimeter of the school.