The Edison Board of Education has chosen a builder for the construction of the new James Monroe Elementary School.
Dobco Construction Services won the contract for the reconstruction of the school, which was destroyed by a fire in March 2014. The Wayne-based company submitted the lowest of 10 bids for the project, at $19.6 million, according to Superintendent of Schools Richard O’Malley.
“Approval of the construction contract puts our students and staff one step closer to returning to their home on 7 Sharp Road,” O’Malley said. “We look forward to cooperatively working with Dobco Construction … and they should begin construction within the next two weeks.”
The expected completion date of August 2016 keeps with the district’s timeline of having the new school ready for students by the start of the 2016-17 school year.
In the meantime, students of James Monroe attend classes at the former St. Cecilia’s School in Iselin through a two-year deal between the Edison school district, Woodbridge Township and the Diocese of Metuchen. If the district were to exceed the two-year, rent-free term, it would be issued a $1.8 million penalty.
The new school will be funded in part through an $18.6 million, 30-year bond approved by voters in March. The approval of the bond made the district eligible for $3.8 million in debt-service aid from the state.
The New Jersey Schools Insurance Group (NJSIG) reimbursed the district $9.5 million for the loss of the school, and district officials filed a lawsuit against NJSIG in December, seeking additional funds. District Business Administrator Daniel Michaud said the suit could take years to resolve. Board President Veena Iyer said any money received through the lawsuit would be used to pay down the bond.
The new school will be more than 27,000 square feet larger than the original building, at 67,775 square feet. It will include a cafeteria, auditorium and sprinkler system, all of which were lacking in the former school.