Page 8 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • August 29, 2012 Midland Park Midland Park High School is back on New Jersey Monthly’s list of the top 100 public high schools in the state, moving up in rank from 116th place on the 2010 list. And though the school placed 68th, school officials are proud of the ranking and the fact that it signals an upward trend while noting that the ranking may not tell the complete story of a high school’s successes. “MPHS has always had great students, families, teachers, administrators, and a supportive, committed board of education,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Marie Cirasella. “We recognize that a 48-place jump up in NJ monthly’s rankings is significant and are proud of the collaborative teamwork over the past two years that has been justly recognized. However, our focused work for students continues, despite rankings, and we accept such numbers will rise and fall. Nonetheless, Midland Park is clearly on the right track, and we will do our best to stay there for the benefit of all our students.” Midland Park schools reported a combined average SAT score of 1554. The school has a 95.65 graduation rate and a 64 percent rate of students who achieved a grade of three or better on the Advanced Placement exams. The average class size in MPHS is reported at 23.6 students per class, with a student/teacher ratio of 11. The biennial ranking was published in the magazine’s September edition, out in newsstands and subscribers’ homes last week. According to the magazine, the rankings are determined based on information from the New Jersey Department of Education’s NJ School Report Cards. The data are then analyzed by an independent research company, which MPHS back on NJ Monthly’s top 100 high schools list considers various factors, including school environment, student performance, and student outcomes. The school environment category includes factors such as average class size, the student/faculty ratio, the percentage of faculty members with advanced degrees, and the number of Advance Placement tests offered. Student performance includes the school’s average combined SAT score, the percentage of students showing advanced proficiency on the HSPA test, and students who score grades of three or higher on AP tests as a percentage of all juniors and seniors. The new graduation rate calculation mandated in 2011 was also considered. Midland Park’s Community Day will have a western theme this year, complete with a mechanical bull to ride on. The annual event is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 8 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Dairy Street recreation complex. (Rain date: Sunday, Sept. 9.) DJ John will provide the music. There will also be inflatable rides and water slides. (Water slide users are welcome to wear bathing suits.) The Midland Park Fire Department will be cooking hot dogs, hamburgers, and cheeseburgers, for which donations are greatly appreciated. Refreshments including ice cream, desserts, and other baked goods may be purchased. Attend- Western theme for Community Day 2012 ees are welcome to bring chairs and blankets to enjoy a spot in the sun; shaded tables and chairs will also be available. Residents are encouraged to walk to this event. Parking will be available in front of the high school. The Dairy Street Tennis Court and playground area parking will be reserved strictly for seniors or those needing assistance and will be accessible from Sunset Street only. Golf cart rides to and from the senior and handicapped parking lots will be available throughout the afternoon for those in need of assistance. In case of inclement weather, call the recreation hotline at (201) 652-2747. Facilities bond referendum (continued from page 3) replacement. Walkways and fencing would be replaced for $200,000, and a new $37,000 scoreboard would be installed. Temporary bleachers were erected in June at a cost of $38,000 after the old bleachers, which dated to the 1950s, were declared unsafe by the district’s insurance company. Building improvements at the high school include $746,000 to refurbish the auditorium, $412,500 for new windows, $250,000 for flooring replacement, $199,000 for ceiling tile replacement and $1,672,205 for roof/soffit replacement. ADA compliant fixtures and ramps would cost $265,560. Toilet partitions and exterior doors would also be replaced. A section of the high school roof was replaced this summer at a cost of $484,000, which the board appropriated from its capital improvement fund. The referendum includes $3,857,289 for the Highland School, which houses students in grades 3 through 6. The proposal calls for $1.4 million in mechanical and plumbing upgrades, including $552,250 for the heating/ventilating system, $386,000 to convert the heating system from steam to hot water, $234,750 for boiler replacement and $166,125 to repair/replace the plumbing system and fixtures. Other proposed upgrades include window replacement for $421,840, roof/soffit replacement for $396,375, floor replacement for $455,000 and ADA compliant bathroom upgrades for $68,000. Site improvements at Highland would include a new playground for $79,000 and field grading and seeding for $151,000. At Godwin School, which houses students in grades K-2, improvements would run $2,611,610, with the greatest portion of the funds earmarked for lighting/electrical upgrades ($532,900), floor replacement ($176,000), window replacement ($381,360), roof/soffit replacement ($323,700), ventilating and heating system repairs/ replacement ($425,750), and plumbing system/fixtures replacement ($143,400). The drop off area in front of the school would be enlarged by cutting into the front yard and new steps provided at a cost of $79,000. Sullivan said that the decision to move forward with the referendum was based on discussions and reports generated from the Buildings and Grounds Committee, which had been working on the building needs for several years. “Results of a facilities audit conducted by our architect along with concerns brought forward to the board by parents, students and residents about the condition of our physical plant have prompted us to address these issues at this time,” Sullivan said. The bond referendum proposal now goes to the state Department of Education for final approval before the special election can take place. The district has uploaded two documents to its website www.midlandparkschools.k12.nj.us/ that further detail the scope of the project and the impact to the tax levy based on the most recent property assessments conducted by the municipality.