By Frank Sinatra, AAP Editor
The Pennsauken School District will host a ground breaking ceremony at Pennsauken High School’s football field, 800 Hylton Rd. on Friday, June 8, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
“As part of the sweeping changes coming to our District due to the bond referendum, we invite the community to join us as we celebrate the start of the renovations at the high school stadium,” says Dr. Ronnie Tarchichi, superintendent, Pennsauken School District. “The work being done to the stadium is part of great changes happening that will allow the Pennsauken School District to provide great opportunities for our students.”
Following the ground breaking, the field will be accessible to the public; a perfect opportunity to toss the ball around with past players, alumni, and kids. The high school will also be open to walk through, allowing attendees to view the changes happening at the high school, as well as the classrooms for the high school’s career technical education programs, revised weight rooms, and more. Afterwards, attendees are invited to the 45th Street Pub, 2545 45th St., Pennsauken, to reminisce about “the good ole’ days.”
The work at the high school’s stadium is part of the bond referendum, passed last March, which will make significant improvements to every public school throughout the Township, allocating almost $36 million for various initiatives. These projects will impact every part of the District, including new security vestibules at all schools; capital improvement to elementary schools with new windows and doors; the establishment of all-day pre-school; the demolition of an aging Longfellow Elementary and the erection of a comprehensive community park and playground in the school’s old footprint; the addition of three new science labs and six additional classrooms at Phifer Middle School; the transformation of Roosevelt Elementary into a high-tech magnet high school, with the addition of a brand new gymnasium; and extensive renovations at Pennsauken High School, with improvement being made to the auditorium, library, locker rooms, and gymnasium; and construction of a plumbing lab. Benefitting the student-athlete, plans call for the building of a brand new, state-of-the-art field house, new tennis courts, and an all purpose turf field, lights, and an eight-lane track.
District officials stated that the majority of the referendum’s projects will be started at the same time, with priorities given to outdoor projects – to take advantage of the warmer weather to speed construction – as well as work for the high tech magnet high school and the security vestibules. As for the financial impact of the referendum on the school portion of Pennsauken residents’ property taxes, that won’t be seen until after March of 2019. The old bond that is currently expiring officially comes off the District books the month prior.
For more information on the ground breaking event, visit https://bit.ly/2ITEMSW.
