Sparta school board OKs study on new school

The Sparta Board of Education on Dec. 15 approved a $28,500 study for a preliminary design for a new elementary school, which could help alleviate parents’ concerns about a lack of space at Alpine School, which serves the district’s youngest students.

The study will be broken down into three components: a concept study ($8,500), a preliminary environmental assessment report ($10,500) and an environmental screening ($9,500).

Alpine houses students in pre-K, kindergarten, and grades 1 and 2.

Superintendent Matthew Beck said the study will assess the feasibility of building a new school at a particular location.

Several parents have expressed concerns about how long Alpine students spend in the same room with breaks only for lunch and recess.

Beck said the school’s administrators are working to see how creative they can get with the current space.

“We’re also working to see what our options are for next year as far as grade alignment and buildings,” he said.

Weight room equipment

Also at that meeting, the board accepted a donation of weight room equipment by a local business executive.

Joe Passalaqua, chief executive of Prior2IPO in Sparta, donated equipment worth about $110,000 to benefit the district’s athletic programs.

Beck thanked him and Nick Zerby, who did a lot of the legwork to make the project happen, he said.

“Over the past few months, we have met many times to work out the details of this project and to say we are thankful for this donation is a massive understatement,” he added.

Board member Jennifer Miller, serving at her last meeting, echoed Beck’s sentiment.

“That’s going to benefit so many of our athletes, and that’s just an amazing amount of money and equipment for our students,” she said. “That’s just wonderful.”