By Peter Elacqua
Staff Writer
MARLBORO – A capital improvements referendum is expected to exceed $26 million, according to information the Marlboro K-8 School District Board of Education has been given.
Business Administrator Cindy Barr-Rague said the total cost of the referendum would be $26.3 million for capital improvement projects across the district. She said the district is eligible for $10.5 million in state aid because the entire referendum is considered to be a health and safety project.
The exact wording of the question that will be placed before voters on Sept. 27 is expected to be provided on the agenda of the board’s Feb. 16 meeting.
“If we put this off any longer, and I am not saying we should rush into anything, but we cannot guarantee the state will be sitting there waiting to write us a check for 40 percent of the cost,” board member Craig Marshall said.” If we wait nine months or a year, (the state’s share) could be 20 percent or even zero.”
“What it costs the board to do work as opposed to (doing work at) your home or business, if it is three or four times the cost, you are lucky,” board member Michael Lilonsky said. “When I need the boiler fixed for my business, I call three or four people, they give me their best offer and I pick who I want. We cannot do that, there is a process. We have to have it written up, go out for bid, take the lowest responsible bidder and pay any prevailing rates the state needs us to pay.”
In other business, Superintendent of Schools Eric Hibbs announced that Robert Delaune, the district’s supervisor of safety and security, has given the board 60 days notice that he will be leaving his position. Hibbs said candidates for the position will be solicited and interviewed.
