State's pledge of millions of dollars for Jersey City's School 20 is 'on hold'

By Melissa Hayes/The Jersey Journal
May 15, 2010, 11:00AM

Just under two years ago, then-Gov. Jon S. Corzine toured School 20 in Jersey City and spoke of the deplorable conditions before pledging millions for a new school.

Due to several issues -- contaminated land and a request for scaled down plans -- the construction was delayed, and now state funding is on hold for any project that hasn't broken ground.

"We want someone to tell us what's going on," said School 20 PTA president Fletcher Walker. "It seems like politics."

The PTA has called a meeting for 6 p.m. on Tuesday at the school, at 160 Danforth Ave. Walker invited state and local officials to attend.

Larry Hanover, a spokesman for the School Development Agency, which allocates construction funding, said the agency's CEO Marc Larkin will attend.

Hanover said the 12 school construction projects that already had shovels in the ground, including Christopher Columbus Elementary School in Union City, will continue to be funded, but all other projects are on hold.

"Everything is still under review, the entire School Development Agency program, its procedures, its protocols," Hanover said. "In the meantime, we can't make any commitments."

But Walker said School 20 has been promised a new building for more than 15 years.
The school's capacity -- including two trailers -- is 470, but 530 students are enrolled.

The basement doubles as a cafeteria and a gym. The restrooms are located in the basement as well, but the auditorium is on the third floor.

Walker said it's hard on elementary school students, particularly kindergarten children, to make it from the top floor to the basement to go to the restroom.

Corzine toured the school on the same day in July 2008 he signed legislation allowing the state to borrow $3.9 billion for school construction projects. Included in those funds was $46.5 million for the Jersey City school.

Corzine, who saw first hand water-damaged classroom walls, closets used as teaching spaces and offices, the makeshift computer room and library, which is a partitioned section of the auditorium, called the situation "ridiculous."

Principal Jorge Fernandez was not available yesterday, but said during the Corzine visit that students and teachers "are in the 21st century working with a school that was built in the 19th century."

The new school is slated to be built at the former Food Town upermarket at Ocean and Cator avenues. Chromium-contaminated soil had to be removed from the site, and that work was completed last year, Walker said.

He said the state subsequently asked the school to scale back its plans. While the design revisions were underway, Gov. Chris Christie took office and the entire program is under review.

"We're trying to get a new school constructed, one that has been promised," Walker said.

Corzine to tout new school funding in Jersey City

by The Jersey Journal
Tuesday July 08, 2008, 2:36 PM

Gov. Jon Corzine is scheduled to appear at School 20 in Jersey City tomorrow at 10 a.m. to highlight new funding for the state's new school construction program.

The Legislature has alloted $2.9 billion to build 53 new schools that were in the pipeline in the state's poorest school districts.

Five schools in Jersey City, including School 20 at 160 Danforth Ave., is slated to be replaced.

The New Jersey Schools Development Authority announced that nine schools across Hudson County will receive $313.6 million, including one school each in Harrison, Hoboken, Union City and West New York.

In addition to the new School 20, the Jersey City school district will receive $148.8 million to buy land and build three early childhood centers and an elementary school.

Harrison is to receive $42.4 million to convert a high school into middle school. Hoboken will receive $24.1 million to renovate the Thomas G. Connors elementary school. Union City is slated to receive $47 million to replace the Columbus Elementary School and $51.3 million is going to West New York to replace the Harry L Bain Elementry School.

Union City Schools Superintendent Stanley Sanger said he had not received official word about the city's allocation.

The money for an elementary school at the Columbus School site was approved by the state a couple of years ago but later withdrawn, he said.

"It's something that is being refunded," Sanger said.

Corzine also plans to visit sites in Bloomfield and Newark tomorrow.