WEST ORANGE, NJ — The West Orange Board of Education recently announced that its members have finalized a lease agreement with The Life Christian Church on Northfield Avenue and will be moving the school district’s pre-school program from Kelly Elementary School to the new facility.
“For many years, and through several boards, the West Orange School District has grappled with facilities overcrowding issues at all of our 11 schools,” board President Sandra Mordecai said in a recent statement. “We currently have trailers at three elementary schools and, at some point in the recent past, at Edison Central Six and West Orange High School.”
As such, the board is pleased to be moving its pre-school to a new location. Pre-school will begin Sept. 6.
“The current board began discussing this space early this year and, as you may recall, during our budget workshops, we set aside funds to pay for the lease,” Mordecai said. “In the past, other boards looked at space on Harrison Avenue, Main Street, Blessed Pope John XXIII Academy — formerly known as St. Joseph’s, Suburban Hills, and many other locations. The spaces we previously looked at involved many costly renovations. It is our charge to strive to find the balance of providing resources for our students and lessening the burden on taxpayers, and the leased space at TLCC is the most cost effective of all potential sites. As with all business operations in the school district, we have the necessary approvals of the county and state offices to move forward.”
This new pre-school will be named after Betty Maddalena, the district’s former director of student support services who died in 2011. Connie Salimbeno, who worked closely with Maddalena for many years, will serve as principal at the Betty Maddalena Early Learning Center.
“Betty was an educator for over 30 years, and began her career as a teacher, advancing to coordinator, then supervisor and ultimately director, all in West Orange,” Mordecai said. “She was the first to receive the prestigious Educator Medal of Honor Award in 2006 from Gov. Jon Corzine and Commissioner of Education Lucille Davy. Betty was always a true advocate for all of our children and extremely well respected by her peers. The Board of Education wished to honor her legacy by naming the new pre-school in her memory. At a future date, we will be hosting a reception and inviting our community and all who loved and supported Ms. Maddalena to attend.”
The new pre-school will host an open house on Wednesday, Aug. 30, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at 747 Northfield Ave. in West Orange.
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