Gloucester County Public Schools expects to welcome 5,340 students when school opens for the 2017-2018 session on Tuesday, according to assistant superintendent John Hutchinson.
Speaking this week as high winds and rain battered the area, Hutchinson admitted some buckets had been strategically placed in schools to catch drops from leaking roofs.
“We have a few of them out, I’ll be honest with you. You’ll find everything you can when it rains like this,” Hutchinson said, adding that schools will be cleaned up and ready after the storm passes.
“The classrooms all look good. The water fountains are all working and are being tested to make sure our drinking water meets state standards. That’s a new state mandate this year, to check for lead content, but because all of our old fountains have been replaced we don’t anticipate any problems.”
The big capital improvements project over the summer was to replace some HVAC units at Peasley Middle School. “Most of the units have been replaced except for two that serve the gym, but we’ll do that when the kids aren’t there soon after school starts,” Hutchinson said.
Division employees are also still working to install new LED light fixtures that are replacing older, less efficient fluorescent lights. “We’re still working to replace fixtures at Petsworth, in a couple of areas at Peas-
ley and in the Head Start wing at the T.C. Walker Education Center.”
Other than closing out the HVAC and lighting projects, Hutchinson said all eight county schools are ready for their fall occupants. “All school buses are ready to go, the cafeterias are all in good shape and all the grounds look good,” he said.
Hutchinson also said architects are still working with a large design committee to develop plans for major renovations at Gloucester High School, a project that got underway this summer.
Along with school personnel, the committee includes a large contingency of local residents along with local government, business and church representatives.
The project is estimated at about $43 million, and Hutchinson said preliminary plans should be ready for review by the general populace this fall.
Teachers returned to work on Aug. 21 and were welcomed with a casual midday picnic in the GHS sports complex before heading to their classrooms.
“Several of them remarked it was a nice change and welcomed the opportunity to have a meet and greet with old friends and new staff members,” he said. “We also threw in a solar eclipse.”
Hutchinson said he was most impressed with the enthusiasm displayed by the assembly of teachers, particularly the new ones. “I am just amazed at some of the enthusiastic young people that came into our buildings,” he said.
Hutchinson added that the division has some strong and well qualified administrators this year, especially in the areas of science and math, and was hopeful they can maintain the enthusiasm shown by their teachers.