Projects already funded in this year’s school budget total more than $580,000.
By: Donna Lukiw
While work on the projects included in next week’s $9.9 million referendum waits for voters, other projects already included in this year’s school budget totaling more than $580,000 are either completed or now in progress.
At the elementary level, Sunnymead Elementary School has finished fence installation and Woodfern Elementary School will begin a roof replacement project on Monday.
"The roof on Woodfern’s older section of the building is quite old and leaking, and has become problematic," Principal Matt Hoffman said. "The roof on the first addition is now 20 years old and the life expectancy has been reached."
Although the roof was planned to be redone over the summer, Mr. Hoffman said the state’s late approval of the project delayed work.
And even though funds for all of the $600,035 project were included in the 2005-2006 budget, the state is contributing 40 percent, or $240,014.
"The problems with our roof are to the point where we could not wait for the referendum therefore the money was placed in the 2005-06 budget," Mr. Hoffman said.
The roof is expected to be completed by Oct. 15.
Also, several projects are near completion at Hillsborough Elementary School including the renovation of kindergarten bathrooms, and the installation of exit signs and heat detectors in the school’s crawl space.
"The kindergarten class bathrooms were renovated because the school is over 50 years old, so they needed to be updated after so much use for such a long period of time," said Interim Principal Linda Gross. "These are the only classrooms with in-room bathroom fa- cilities."
Bathroom renovations are expected to be finished by Sept. 30.
Assistant Superintendent of Business Tom Venanzi said many of the exit signs are not very bright.
"The new signs will be hard wired and easier to view for occupants of the building," Mr. Venanzi said.
The heat detectors are being installed in the wing of the school along Amwell Road, since that section is built over a crawl space. The detectors are needed to warn of fire, Ms. Gross said.
"Since school is now in session, the project work will be finished outside of school hours so that learning will not be disrupted," Ms. Gross said.
The installation of exit signs and heat detectors are expected to be completed by Sept 30, with $87,000 budgeted for the renovations of the bathrooms, exit signs and heat detectors.
For Hillsborough High School, one project has been completed and one project is underway.
The fencing installation done around the athletic complex has been completed and three tennis courts are currently being resurfaced.
Michael Fanizzi, HHS athletic director, said both projects were done for safety reasons.
"Two years ago a woman was walking by the soccer field and got hit by a soccer ball," Mr. Fanizzi said. "We had shorter fences but they didn’t really do a good job."
Also, in the athletic complex, three out of the six tennis courts are being resurfaced since cracks in the asphalt were putting the tennis players at risk for injury.
"It was getting to the point where it was getting dangerous," Mr. Fanizzi said. "We had guys come in to do the repairs but the cracks were getting too large."
During the resurfacing process the tennis team has been using Montgomery High School’s tennis courts for practices and home games.
"They’ve been very gracious in letting us use their courts," Mr. Fanizzi said.
The courts will be completed in about two weeks and are estimated at $65,850.