"A peek inside the new Millstone middle school - The Examiner, 1/18/07.

This goes above and beyond what is required or needed in middle school public education:

The $3.1 million auditorium is "one of the school's highlights," though not just for its size.

"The amount of sound and theater equipment being purchased is very impressive. The sound quality will be like that on Broadway or in Madison Square Garden," Skillman said.

"All the seating is like that in a movie theater," he said.

And other expenses, one-time and recurring:

To furnish the new school, the district will use a lot of the furniture it currently has at its other facilities, according to Superintendent Donahue. "Not everything will be new," Donahue said.

The opening of the new middle school will have an impact on the next budget.

Donahue said she could not speculate yet as to how much of an increase the school district would need to begin operating the new school.

"I have decided not to hire a full administrative team," Donahue said. Donahue said she will not look to hire another assistant principal.

Donahue said new costs will also entail having to hire additional custodial staff, an extra grounds person and another maintenance person for two shifts. New expenditures will come as well as a result of just operating the building, she said, as the district will have to pay for electricity, energy costs, etc.

Donahue said the community should start hearing more information regarding the new budget in March. She said taxpayers should support the next budget "for the education of the children."

"We're doing extremely well as exhibited by our test scores," Donahue said. "We would like to keep that caliber up, and we would like to keep class sizes down."

"It's a beautiful building," she added, "and I'm so excited for the students and the community. They really deserve it."

Not to mention what the traffic will do to my commute since I drive right past the new middle school on my way to my sons' school.

All school traffic will flow onto school grounds from Baird Road.

Oh, and this, poor babies:

"We will no longer have offices in the basement," Donahue said

My favorite office at the Holmdel building was in the basement. I was in it for several years. I had a huge window next to my desk; it looked out onto the huge lab that I administered.