Haddonfield BOE Hires Professionals for Bancroft Acquisition

Haddonfield's  on Thursday approved three professional services contracts for work on the acquisition of the Bancroft property.

Board President Steve Weinstein said the contracts, while hiring firms to work on the project, were not dependent on the passage of a public referendum in January.

Capital Financial Services, Inc. of Mount Laurel; Garrison Architects of Marlton; and Remington & Vernick Engineers of Haddonfield were all approved to provide services on the Bancroft project. Weinstein noted that all three firms have worked with the borough or school board previously.

The no-bid contracts were possible because they're for professional services, Weinstein said.

The to buy the nearly 19-acre Bancroft property adjacent to the high school on Kings Highway. The $16.9 million cost for the acquisition, demolition and development on the property will need to be approved in a public referendum on Jan. 22, 2013.

24/7 policy

The (as opposed to repealing it outright), remains in suspension. The board last night discussed the 24/7 policy, which gave the school board power to prohibit students caught and convicted for drug or alcohol violations from participating in extracurricular activities such as sports or band.

Recently a New Jersey State Appeals Court struck down a similar policy by the Ramapo Indian Hills School District, stating that the prohibitions by that school district were overreaching. An administrative law judge declared that.

Haddonfield resident Amy Shaw urged the school board to “take the more definitive action of rescinding the policy. The appellate court has clearly spoken. If we have this policy on our books we open ourselves to litigation from either side.”

But board member Glenn Moramarco noted that the New Jersey case may be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court and that repealing the policy could be premature. Moramarco also took exception to recent comments by opposing counsel in an action against Haddonfield Board of Education that the school district could be liable for hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages.

"I don’t see that as a prospect," Moramarco said.

Superintendent Richard Perry read aloud from an email sent by Haddonfield resident Mark Barrett, who’d “been a victim of underage drinkers two times in 2005.” Barrett urged the school board to work with the state attorney general’s office to frame a statute that would make 24/7 a New Jersey state law.

“I think it was wise to suspend the policy. The Supreme Court could reverse the Ramapo case ruling," Weinstein said. "I think we should have the policy on the table until there’s a definitive decision. It’s totally inappropriate to revoke our policy now.” Weinstein estimated that a Supreme Court ruling, should it decide to hear the case, could take another year a decision.

Haddonfield Youth Basketball Association raising funds for local basketball courts

The Haddonfield Youth Basketball Association is fund raising for a project to build basketball courts on property. Resident Terry Mancini gave a brief presentation about those fundraising efforts. Fifteen residential neighbors with properties close to Tatem have been surveyed to find out whether they would support the basketball court project. All 15 said yes, according to Mancini.

The youth group has also talked to borough Administrator Sharon McCullough about the possibility of a joint use of equipment currently at work on borough street repairs, she said. Mancini said the cost of getting the right equipment on site is a large portion of the overall cost. The basketball court construction would be paid for entirely from the funds raised by youth group.

Driving students to practice

Board member Andrew Berlin brought up a concern about the students driving other students to the school’s athletic fields in time for practice.

The problem is that too many people are being transported at one time, he said. Other members wondered if there was enough time for the athletes get to practice in time. Athletic Director Lefteris Banos said the students had 40-45 minutes to get from the to Crows Woods fields. He suggested that parents remind their high school-age drivers that it is illegal to pack too many people in one vehicle.