School board: Liberty will open in Sept.
Jackson officials say cuts to budget will not delay plans
BY DAVE BENJAMIN
Staff Writer

JACKSON - Rumors regarding the opening of Jackson Liberty High School were dismissed by the Board of Educa-tion last week.

Speaking at a May 2 meeting, board President Linda Lackay said there has been some discussion and speculation by members of the public regarding the planned opening of Jackson Liberty High School, which is nearing completion off North Hope Chapel Road.

The building, which will become Jackson's second public high school, is on track for a September opening, Lackay said.

Rumors regarding the opening of the school apparently began to circulate after the board's proposed $127.6 million budget for the 2006-07 school year - which includes funds to pay for the opening of Jackson Liberty - was defeated by voters in the April 18 election.

The Township Committee is in the process of reviewing the defeated school budget and may recommend cuts to the spending plan. A decision by the committee is expected by May 19.

Regardless of what the committee determines, the school board said the opening of Jackson Liberty is assured.

"I'd like to say categorically that this board is in 100 percent agreement that no matter what happens with the township government concerning our budget, we plan on opening Jackson Liberty [on time]," said Martin Spielman, the board's vice president. "I'd like to dispel all the rumors. Jackson Liberty will open in September with freshman and sophomore classes."

He asked residents to "watch out for any rumors."

Board member Marvin Krakower said he had recently visited the new high school.

"It's a phenomenal building," Kra-kower said. "The inside is basically completed. The outside structure has to be finished except for the main entrance. Then they have to put seed down."

Krakower said Jackson Liberty has to open in September.

"It's a hazard to have 3,100 students at Jackson Memorial High School," he said. "They can't walk the hallways. They can't eat lunch properly. They can't have physical education. Their classes are packed. We have no more chem labs for our children. We're out of space. We are going to open the [new] high school for our children."

Some pupils who are freshmen at Jackson Memorial this year will move to Jackson Liberty as sophomores in September. They will be joined by an incoming freshman class at the new high school.