Mai describes the district’s vision as forward-focused and opportunity-driven, rooted in the belief that schools must keep pace with rapid change in technology, innovation, and student needs. Even facility projects, he notes, are not “just buildings.” They are investments in comfort, safety, equity, and student success. That philosophy is now being put into action through a master planning framework that addresses aging infrastructure, enrollment shifts, and long-term facility utilization. Great Meadows operates three buildings, including one currently mothballed due to declining enrollment in 2019. The district also maintains two active school buildings with vastly different profiles: one facility more than a century old and another roughly 27 years old—ironically, the newer building presenting more urgent system challenges than the oldest. A major tipping point came when the middle school’s HVAC system failed, forcing the district into emergency mitigation measures to keep classrooms at manageable temperatures. As operating costs escalated and temporary solutions proved unsustainable, the district recognized it needed a long-term answer rather than continued patchwork. Timing helped. A previous bond obligation was coming off the books, creating a window for a referendum that could address the most critical needs without adding entirely new burdens to taxpayers. The result was a successful referendum project focused on HVAC replacement at the middle school, along with building upgrades that extend across all three district facilities, including securityrelated improvements and communication system modernization. Business Administrator Samantha Westberg explains that the referendum work is part of a larger strategy that combines planned capital investment with aggressive pursuit of state support and grant funding to reduce taxpayer impact. The district secured a Rod Grant in New Jersey that covered phase one HVAC piping at the middle school, with the state contributing 40 percent of eligible costs. It also received a preschool expansion Rod Grant for Liberty School, supporting a $2.5 million project with approximately $1 million funded by the state. Additional grant applications are underway, including one expected to cover full well upgrades at Liberty, reflecting the district’s emphasis on fiscal responsibility and smart leverage of outside funding. Westberg notes that while the district is currently project-heavy, the throughline remains consistent: upgrading environments where students learn today while also improving a building that could house students again in the future as enrollment increases. District leadership is monitoring growth trends 293 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 07, ISSUE 02 GREAT MEADOWS REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
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