Auxiliary Gym

Cranbury School students have a new space to run, shoot hoops, practice wrestling and volleyball or any number of activities, as the district has completed construction of the school’s new auxiliary gymnasium!

 

Although a formal ribbon cutting ceremony is planned for February, judging by the happy sounds of students and the velocity of basketballs swishing through the new hoops during the inaugural basketball practice on January 18th, the space is already a huge success.

 

“Our school day and after-school activities have a lot of moving parts, and having a space like this that can be utilized in a hundred different ways gives us the ability to be flexible and creative in ways that mean something to kids,’’ said Cranbury School Principal and Chief School Administrator Jennifer Diszler. “It’s a solid investment in our school facility that will be well used and well appreciated by the entire student body.’’

 

Diszler said construction began on the project in March 2022 with the ordering of materials. She said the $2.1 million project was completed on-budget utilizing existing Capital Reserve Funds. While this project is not part of the district’s Referendum Projects that were approved in December 2021, it is related to them, as those projects involve converting the current all-purpose room into a Center for Arts Education, which will take away auxiliary gymnasium space needed for physical education classes, student arrival, and inclement weather indoor recess space. 

 

“The successful completion of this auxiliary gym is all part of the master timeline to set ourselves up for spaces that can be utilized during and after our referendum projects are completed,’’ said Board of Education President Pramode Chivate. “This is a satisfying first step in a broad plan to make significant and meaningful investments that will take our district into the future.”

 

The referendum projects are slated to begin in June 2023, with the first phase of construction featuring renovations to the main office and entrance, the creation of an Academic Commons and the building of a new Center for Arts Education. The district has posted an updated timeline for construction on the district’s Referendum Project Updates page.

 

“We have had to alter the timeline a bit due to supply chain issues but we are eager to break ground on the first phase as soon as school gets out,’’ Diszler said. “It is a very exciting time right now and we are eager to get started on building a stronger future for our students and community.’’

 

These facility investments are centered on providing a more robust educational program in STEAM - science, technology, engineering, the arts and math. In addition to renovations to the main office and nurse area, creating an Academic Commons, and creating a Center for Arts Education, they include overhauling the school’s aging kitchen and cafeteria to be more efficient, renovations to science classrooms and other parking lot and security improvements.