By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
Lawrence Township Public School District officials are mulling over a possible bond referendum that would make improvements to the schools, such as air conditioning in the classrooms and an elevator at Lawrence Middle School., School district officials sent out a request for proposals for architectural services, which is the first step in the process. Although an architect will be hired, none of the improvements include additions to the school buildings., “The architect will provide an estimate of the costs (for all or part of the project), so we can proceed to referendum with the knowledge of what the solutions will cost,” said Thomas Eldridge, the school business administrator., Although the scope of the work to be done and the total cost of the bond referendum are not known, it is likely that 36 percent of the costs will be paid for by state aid. Taxpayers will pick up the remaining 64 percent of the cost, Mr. Eldridge said., Among the improvements under consideration are air conditioning in all of the classrooms and updated telephone and public address systems district-wide. Security systems also may be updated district-wide, At the Lawrence Middle School, officials may install an elevator and replace the boiler., The lack of air conditioning in the classrooms has been raised repeatedly by teachers, administrators and parents, Mr. Eldridge said. Lawrence High School will present a challenge for air conditioning installation work because several additions have been made to the school since it opened in 1966., An updated and integrated security system and communications system would allow administrators to have two-way instant knowledge when an alarm is triggered and its location, he said., “It would tell us if an outside door has been propped open in a given building, and allow us to make all public announcement calls from one building to another. It would be integrated with badge access control at the doors (similar to a key) and security surveillance equipment,” Mr. Eldridge said., A door that has been propped open by students or others is a security concern that all school district faces, Mr. Eldridge said. The first step in providing security is to ensure that no one can enter the building without going to the school’s Main Office., Turning to the Lawrence Middle School, Mr. Eldridge said an elevator may be installed so that if a student has a broken leg or a sprained ankle and cannot navigate the stairs, it will be possible to maneuver throughout the school. It is not possible to install ramps., There are elevators at the Lawrenceville Elementary School, the Ben Franklin Elementary School, Lawrence Intermediate School and Lawrence High School., Once the architect has reviewed the proposed projects and prepared cost estimates, the information will be presented to the Lawrence Township Board of Education. The options will be outlined for the school board, which will make its selection based on priority needs and funding., Neither a date nor the amount of the bond referendum has been set.
