Quest to Find Outside Revenue Gaining Steam in Glen Rock

In a followup to a recent discussion on finding outside sources of revenue, Superintendent David Verducci on Monday said several of the plans are gaining momentum.

In January, an ad hoc committee consisting of school board members, administrators and teachers pitched four ways to bring in additional monies. Plans included reinstating the Glen Rock Education Foundation, renting out facilities, and creating a school within a school to retain special education students while also bringing in pupils from outside the district.

Verducci, in his Superintendent's report, said the Ad Hoc committee on a "school within a school" is headed to the Curriculum Committee before it reaches his desk. Because there are numerous logistical and legal questions that remains, boosting enrollment with students from outside districts will likely be the last of the four plans implmeneted. The plan would utilize the / over the summer for both special education students and those outside the district. Summer academies in the areas of science, performing and visual arts, and others may be set up; classes would run a for five months with instruction time around 6 hours per day

A resolution to support the creation of an Education foundation was approved by the school board on Monday night. It's been touted as a plan that would use Glen Rock alumni, corporations and government entities to help supplement education initiatives, like world languages in the elementary schools. It could bring in anywhere between $48,000 and $96,000 a year annually, speakers said in January.

Plans to find a dedicated grant writer are also being explored, Verducci said. Additionally, the renting of facilities will be discussed by the Operations and Government committees shortly.

School officials say the exploration plans could bring in six figures annually, though it's still not determined when exactly they'll get off the ground.

Said school board member Carlo Cella in January, "We've been proactive in a lot of things we've done, some controversial, some not controversial...we want to be in front of these things and drive revenue."