By SUZANNE MARINO
Staff Writer
MARGATE – After weeks of clamoring by members of the community and some members of the Margate Commissioners about the underutilization of Margate schools, the Board of Education is ready to study the problem.
On Tuesday, May 16 the board instructed Superintendent of Schools Dominick Potena to begin preliminary work on a facilities study to include such issues as future enrollment and the impact of closing a school.
“The Board of Education has instructed me to start gathering information for a Board of Education long-term planning study,” Potena confirmed.
Area demographics, the capacity of the buildings and what impact closure of a building would have on safety, curriculum and programs are among the subjects to be addressed, the superintendent said.
“We will look at enrollment and find out where the trend is going,” said Potena.
The superintendent said the board hopes to get a handle on enrollment trends by going to the experts who will undertake a cohort survival study. This includes analyzing birth rates, current enrollment statistics and other mathematical factors.
Potena will be formulating a request for proposals for the Board of Education. The board will advertise the RFP to recruit experts to begin the study.
Potena said he would have something ready for the board’s next meeting, scheduled for June 13.
