Accessibility is non-negotiable. Many schools were built in an era when multilevel access for wheelchair users was not part of the design; Roselle is now methodically adding access solutions so students, staff, and visitors can reach every floor. “Handicap accessibility is a matter of dignity and equity,” Fisher says. “We are fixing what time and design is left behind.” The district is also pursuing energy strategies that reduce cost and carbon. Solar expansion is on the near-term agenda, and Roselle is exploring an Energy Savings Improvement Program to lock in lower electricity rates. “We want our dollars in classrooms, not in utility bills,” Fisher says. “Clean power helps us do both.” LOOKING TWO YEARS AHEAD: FROM MESSAGE TO MILESTONES Roselle’s priorities for the next 18 to 24 months are concrete. The district intends to keep retrofitting spaces to support media, digital access, and handson learning. It will expand solar and pursue ESIP financing to stabilize energy costs. It will deepen partnerships that put students next to working professionals and into university labs. And it will continue to collapse the digital divide through infrastructure investments and device programs, sustaining LTE access alongside robust in-school networks. Above all, Dr. Fisher is working diligently to break ground on a new school—the capstone to years of careful upgrades and the centerpiece of a long-term plan to give Roselle Public Schools the space its programming deserves.“We’re small but mighty,” he says. “A future school isn’t a wish list item; it’s an equity item. Our scholars need facilities that match their ambitions.” Underneath the strategy is a brand Roselle keeps living into. Last year’s theme was “Targeted with Tenacity.” The year before: “Elevate & Amplify.” None was marketing gloss. Each framed specific work— tightening instruction, celebrating growth, and giving students the tools to create and to lead.Today, “Shift & Transcend” extends that arc, asking adults to adopt new practices and students to reach new 315 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 12 ROSELLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
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