District to form citizen advisory committee
BY CHRIS GAETANO Staff Writer

EDISON - Wanted: dedicated, civicminded individuals interested in helping direct the course of school construction in Edison. Do you think you have what it takes? If so, perhaps you can be on the newly forming school construction committee.

The committee will be composed mostly of township residents, though two board memberswill also be a part, andwill review and give input on matters related to school construction. The committee was an idea proposed by a resident during the Dec. 26 Board ofEducationmeeting, inwhich people had expressed some dissatisfactionwith the hasty delivery of a $52 million school construction proposal.

According to acting Superintendent of Schools John Dimuzio, the committee will probably not examine this bond referendum, nor will it look at other school construction plans already in place. The focus, he said, would be on future construction and future needs.

"We'd like to form a committee so the people in town could have input and maybe look at what we're looking at in our construction in this town of 17 schools.…We'll probably be looking at the schools not involved in this particular referendum, but the ones … for future construction, and I think it's a good thing. I think it's something, hopefully, people will sign up for," said Dimuzio.

Dimuzio said thatWilliam Van Pelt and Mel Vaticanowill be the two boardmembers serving on the committee.As far as residents are concerned, he said that three interested people have contacted himso far.He said he would like to see how many people ultimately express an interest before he commits to the number of people and screening procedures.

The acting superintendent also said that if things gowellwith this group, it could provide a stepping-stone for the formation of a more general schools advisory committee.

"I think, right now, if that citizen advisory committee for long-term construction [works], I don't see why not, as they sit on this and work through this referendumand others, [a more general committee couldn't form]. We definitely want the public involved," said Dimuzio.

People interested in being on the School Construction Committee should contact Dimuzio at the board's central office, (732) 452-4900. The deadline is Feb. 15.