By STEVE PRISAMENT
Staff Writer

GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP – Public Schools Operations Manager Steve Bolli has a plan to save the district some money over the summer.

“We want to switch as many people as we can to four-day work weeks so all the schools except the Middle School would be shut routinely three days each week during the summer,” he told the Board of Education at its meeting Monday, March 17 at Galloway Township Middle School. “We would use the whole building here and shut most of the other buildings.”

According to school board member Robert Iannacone, the plan could save the district between $12,300 and $17,971.

“It depends on which programs we run,” said Iannacone, the board’s point man on buildings and grounds. “The savings is compared to 2007 when we already had energy savings in effect. The savings are much greater when compared to our 2006 bills.”

Using 2006 as a base, the district would be saving between $20,964 and $28,500.

Bolli’s plan would keep the Middle School and one wing at Reeds Road Elementary School open all summer while the other schools would be shut down wing by wing as they get cleaned and polished for their fall openings.

Reeds Road would host programs for the younger students who would feel more comfortable with smaller furniture.

“It’s not as simple as it sounds,” he said. “The schools have to be cleaned and we have to work around the maintenance people’s schedules. They aren’t allowed to take vacation during the school year, so they have to take time off in the summer.”

He said the janitorial staff would team-clean the buildings.

Switching to four-day weeks would allow the buildings to be closed and powered way down for three days each week rather than two.

Assistant Superintendent of Schools Annette Giaquinto said the four-day week works for ongoing educational programs.

“We are able to make it work,” Giaquinto said. “We can run all the programs in four days.”

Superintendent Doug Groff said the administration will monitor the effort.

“I look at this as a pilot program,” he said. “We’ll keep close tabs on it. If it doesn’t work out we’ll go back to the drawing board. But energy has become very expensive. Any way we can, we’ll try to cut corners.”

One reason to keep the Middle School open five days, Bolli said, is to accommodate anyone who had to maintain a five-day work week.

“They would work at least one of their days at the Middle School,” he said.
Board members said they like the plan.

“I read over Steve’s plan,” Iannacone said. “I think it’s definitely the way to go.”

“It seems like we all agree that the savings make this worth a try,” President Ernest Huggard said. “Thank you for bringing us such a well-thought-out plan and making such an informative demonstration.”

Bolli said there are other benefits to having a four-day work week.

“With three days off, it will give people more chance to get recharged,” he said. “They’ll return on Monday really ready to go.”