New school construction to start soon

BY JENNIFER KOHLHEPP Staff Writer

ALLENTOWN – The school district has gone out to bid for the construction of the new middle school.

Upper Freehold Regional Board of Education Vice PresidentWilliam Borkowski said the district hopes to be able to award a construction contract next month. He said just because community members don’t see anything happening at the school site on Breza Road doesn’t mean that the project isn’t moving forward.

If the bidding process goes smoothly, the district would break ground in July or August, according to Superintendent of Schools Dick Fitzpatrick.

“We want to be cautiously optimistic,” Fitzpatrick said. “We hope to award [the contract] as soon as we can. We have put the project out to bid and that’s a significant accomplishment.”

Board President Joseph Stampe said the school district would like to schedule a public ground breaking event at the site in September.

Fitzpatrick said the public event would likely take place the first or second Saturday of September.

“We would like to make the site available for people to come to,” Fitzpatrick said. “This will be something to celebrate.”

He said the event would entail refreshments and students playing music.

Borkowski also reported that theMonmouth County Planning Board has recommended that the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders approve Allentown’s request to expand its sewer service area to the new middle school.

The Board of Chosen Freeholders is expected to meet during the first week of June and would discuss the issue then, Borkowski said.