BY LAYLI WHYTE
Staff Writer

RED BANK - The borough Board of Education is facing a decision between lighting a stage and staging a study.

By the time the board meets again on June 13, members will have to choose between purchasing lighting for the stage in the auditorium of the Red Bank Middle School or funding an engineering study on drainage problems at the Red Bank Primary School.

The board discussed the choices at its May 23 meeting and tabled the decision until more information about the engineering study was available.

Board Vice president Peter Noble said at last week's meeting that he would like to see the lighting for the middle school purchased, because the funds will only be available in the facilities budget until the end of June.

Board member Rosemarie Kopka said she would prefer to see the money go toward helping to fix the drainage problem at the primary school, which is built on the edge of the Navesink River, bordering wetlands.

"The drainage problem at the primary school," she said, "is something we're going to have to face soon."

Borough Administrator Frances Finkelstein said that if the $16,000 available in the facilities budget is not allocated by the end of June, the money would then be put into the surplus budget.

"If the surplus runs higher than we are allowed to keep," she said, "then the money would go back to the taxpayers."

Board members were split on the decision, and the issue was tabled so that more specific information about the drainage study could be accessed.

Finkelstein said that if the board is going to authorize the engineering study, contracts would need to be prepared by the June 13 meeting.

She said if the board chooses to purchase lighting equipment, the order would have to be placed by the end of June.

According to estimates received by the facilities committee, lighting equipment could be purchased for about $15,490 and installed by the in-house maintenance staff, who Finkelstein said are qualified to do the work.

Board member Ben Forest said that although he agrees that improved lighting would be a good idea, he isn't convinced it's the best use of the district's money.

"If I run for re-election," he said, "I'll have to explain $16,000 for improved lighting. I don't know what the financial situation is going to be."

Board President Janet Jones said that when the renovations were made at the middle school, improved lighting for the stage was considered but could not be factored into the referendum because of cost factors.

"We decided that in the future," she said, "when the opportunity came, if we could find the monies to do that, we would."

Board member Mary-Ellen Mess said that she had been at a performance at the school earlier that night, and the house lights had to be kept up in order for the students to see where they were stepping on the stage.

"Having the lights down would really add to the ambiance and the performance," she said.

Mess said the school rents lighting equipment for some performances for between $500 and $600 for one spotlight.

"Student performances is a worthwhile expenditure," she said. "Parents come to see their children on stage. I support this expenditure. The money probably isn't going to be there next year, and the budget is only going to get tighter."