Our schools and facilities are nearly, if not already, 100 years old. In 2005, the Verona Public Schools conducted a comprehensive needs assessment that identified $67 million in capital improvement projects. At that time, and with the understanding that such a large number was too much for the taxpayer to bear in one referendum, the Verona Board of Education decided to spread out the projects over a longer and more manageable period of time. The decision was made to identify the highest priorities and mobilize referendum projects every 5-8 years. We have been successful with this plan, completing the 2005 and 2014 referenda on time and under budget.
From that original needs assessment, these referenda have enabled the Verona Public Schools to chip away at addressing these needs in a strategic and responsible manner. Today, we stand before our community conveying the significance of completing the last phase of this plan so we may address the necessary renovations and improvements that must be completed now. I am confident you will agree that these issues require our immediate attention once you learn about the current conditions of our schools and facilities.
I will be meeting with the public through a variety of meetings and forums over the coming weeks. I invite you to join me on Saturday, September 28th at 10 am or October 12th at 2 pm in the Verona High School Auditorium. I hope to see each of you there.
All my best,
