From left to right: School Business Administrator Bill Ryan, Burlington City Superintendent Edward Gola, Burlington County Superintendent Walter Keiss, School Board Vice President Tonya Dickerson, Tom McHugh and Gabe Massa of MMA Architects, Mark Lohbauer of EDA, Assemblyman Jack Connors, Mayor Herman Costello, and Principal Peggy Gens.

Plans Are Set for Construction of New Early Childhood Education Facility in Burlington City

EDA and DOE Visit Site/Architects Unveil Designs for New Pre-K School

Burlington City, NJ (November 20, 2001) – With designs complete, construction is nearly ready to start on the new early childhood education center in Burlington City. Representatives from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, Department of Education, and the Burlington City school district joined officials at the Samuel Smith Elementary School today to unveil plans for the new facility, which will be the first new construction project to go out to bid under New Jersey's landmark school construction program.

Superintendent Edward F. Gola, Jr., Principal Peggy Gens, who is also the school district's Early Childhood Education Supervisor, School Business Administrator William F. Ryan, and Mayor Herman Costello met with Mark Lohbauer, Director of the EDA Schools Communications and Policy Division, Margretta Fairweather, DOE Assistant Commissioner of Early Childhood Education, and Gabriel J. Massa and Tom McHugh of MMA Architects at the site of the new construction project.

"The design phase is complete and the state is ready to move forward with the construction of this facility that will be a vital part of Burlington City children's learning experience," said EDA Executive Director Caren Franzini,. "It has always been, and will continue to be EDA's goal to bring in the best construction firms and most qualified personnel to design and build New Jersey's schools, and we are ready to get moving in Burlington City."

The Request for Proposal, RFP, for construction on the project have been issued through the EDA website (www.njeda.com) beginning Nov. 16, and will be advertised statewide through newspapers and trade magazines beginning Nov. 21. The EDA's mandatory "pre-bid" meeting for contractors interested in the construction project is scheduled for Dec. 5.

Under the Educational Facilities Construction and Financing Act, EDA is responsible for the construction and financing of school construction in the 30 special needs Abbott districts, including Burlington City. The construction cost estimate for the 12-classroom addition to the Samuel Smith School is $4.5 million, which will be provided by the State through the EDA.

"The Early Childhood Center is a welcome addition to our established pre-school program," said Superintendent Edward F. Gola, Jr. "The center will enable us to relocate classes from at capacity neighborhood schools to activities and services at one facility. All primary children in our district will benefit from the additional instructional space."

The classrooms will be used to provide the Supreme Court mandated preschool programs to all 3 and 4-year olds residing in Burlington City. The classrooms will be used to implement developmentally appropriate curriculum and will serve as the instructional, nutritional and developmental care centers for the district programs. The additional space will allow the school district to continue implementation of their full day, full year program into the 2002-2003 school year.

Also in attendance at the event were Assemblyman Jack Connors, Burlington County Superintendent of Schools Walter Keiss, and Burlington City Board of Education Vice President Tonya Dickerson, who is also Chairwoman of the New Jersey Urban School Boards Association.

Under the Educational Facilities Construction and Financing Act, the EDA is responsible for the construction and financing for school construction in the state's 30 special needs Abbott districts. To date, the EDA has awarded contracts for the design of over $68.2 million in construction, and has awarded $29.5 million in health and safety construction project contracts in Abbott districts around the state. The EDA has also executed 28 grant agreements with eight Abbott school districts totaling $7.6 million. (These grant agreements involve Abbott school districts facilities projects valued at $500,000 or less.)

Assemblyman Jack Connors (right) looks over the designs for the new Early Education Center with Tonya Dickerson, VP of the Burlington City School Board.

Digital pictures from the event are available upon request. For more information, visit www.njeda.com or www.njedaschools.com

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