kind of success story shows the power of building a strong foundation early,” she says. FUTURE PLANS AND PRIORITIES The next 18 to 24 months will be busy for Elmwood Park. In addition to completing the multi-purpose room expansions and adding classroom capacity, priorities include: upgrading transportation, including buses for CTE and extracurricular programs, replacing aging boilers to improve efficiency and it’s about nurturing curiosity and resilience. A longtime advocate for early childhood education, she sees firsthand the difference it makes. “Those first years are critical,” she reflects. “When children start strong, they carry that confidence through middle and high school.” Gerardi recalls the story of a former student who advanced through Elmwood Park’s programs and went on to present a physics paper in Italy. “That 189 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 10 ELMWOOD PARK PUBLIC SCHOOLS
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