Millville moving to 1 high school principal position
MILLVILLE - The city school system wants its two high schools operating under one principal next year as it looks ahead to Millville Senior High School becoming a four-year institution.
The Board of Education on Monday night unanimously approved creating a position for a principal with responsibility for ninth through 12th grades. The next step is to advertise for candidates, and Schools Superintendent David Gentile said he expects an appointment to be made before the start of the 2016-17 academic year.
RELATED NEWS: Procopio retiring
As of now, the district is finalizing with New Jersey a plan for a $110 million construction project to expand and upgrade the senior high school. Millville hopes to see construction start in June 2017 and end in time for opening day in September 2020.
The senior high presently holds grades 11 and 12 as well as half of the 10th-grade population. Memorial High School has the other half of the 10th-grade class as well as all ninth-graders.
The senior high school construction timetable is fluid, but it technically leaves plenty of time to settle administrative issues. The decision of senior high Principal Kathy Procopio to retire this year complicates the situation, according to Gentile.
Gentile said the district does not want to have principals at both high schools, partly because the pending consolidation of high school grades is a chance to cut administrative costs through consolidating positions.
Once rebuilt, the senior high should be able to accommodate 2,300 students.
Based on an April 19 meeting with state officials, the June 2017 construction start date is holding, according to board member Michael Beatty. He did term it “very ambitious” as a schedule.
Beatty said the district is waiting to find out what direction the project’s builder will take in carrying out the work. The district is not opposed to changes as long as delays are avoided and the quality of work does not suffer, he said.
Joseph P. Smith: (856) 563-5252; jsmith@gannettnj.com