Pressure builds to get Phillipsburg High built Sunday, February 25, 2007 • By DANIEL HAUSMANN • The Express-Times Phillipsburg junior Amy Pawlowski likely won't step into the new Phillipsburg High School as a student, provided it's ever built. That didn't stop Pawlowski and thousands of other students from Phillipsburg and its sending districts from writing to Gov. Jon Corzine. Last month's letter-writing campaign was part of an effort to pressure state government to build the long-stalled high school. "It's pretty obvious from the 31 trailers we're in need of a new school," Pawlowski said. In the next two weeks, schools will take that message of need to residents. Lopatcong and Greenwich townships both have public forums scheduled to discuss the project. "There's a lot of concern out there," Lopatcong school board member Bill Taggart said. "This has been dragging on for a long time." Phillipsburg has been waiting for $88 million to complete the new high school along Roseberry Street for close to two years. The Schools Construction Corp., a state agency established to build schools in New Jersey, ran out of money in July 2005 after years of waste and mismanagement. The SCC only had enough money to work on 59 out of 350 projects statewide. Attempts to resurrect the program haven't been successful. "The SCC was supposed to have this resolved," Taggart said. "They kept putting it off and off and off." Greenwich Superintendent Kevin Brennan will send 309 students to Phillipsburg High School next school year. "The issue of overcrowding needs to be attended, too," Brennan said. The high school population has increased to 1,696 from 1,523 in 2002. Greenwich will host a forum Monday night on the high school project. Brennan called it a good time for residents to hear from the board and the board to hear resident concerns. Brennan said the dilemma is getting a state system to move. Overcrowding is not getting any better with each passing day. "If this issue is not attended to, what are we going to do in three, four, five years?" Brennan asked. The Phillipsburg School Board has hinted more trailers might be needed to accommodate the growing student population, a move Taggart said would create "a security nightmare." Pawlowski said walking outdoors in all elements to get to class is a problem. "It's not that great of a learning environment," Pawlowski said. With much at stake for his students, Brennan is looking to get behind Phillipsburg. "We really want to be a strong ally with them to bring the message to Trenton," Brennan said. Reporter Daniel Hausmann can be reached at 610-258-7171 or by e-mail at dhausmann@express-times.com. © 2007 The Express-Times. Used by NJ.com with permission.