By Joanne Degnan, Managing Editor
ROBBINSVILLE — The Board of Education has awarded a $13,050 contract to Craig Test Boring, of Mays Landing, to conduct soil boring tests for the foundations of the new additions to Sharon Elementary School and Pond Road Middle School.
The contract is the first expenditure connected to the $18.9 million bond referendum for the construction of a two-story wing to Sharon Elementary School and the expansion of the existing cafeteria in Pond Road Middle School. (Five classrooms also are being created inside the existing middle school media center, but that part of the project is not a building addition that requires soil test borings.)
”This item is not of the (financial) magnitude that it has to be board-approved, but we want to put everything that ties to the referendum before the board so that every decision made is documented with board approval,” Superintendent Steve Mayer told the board Jan. 3.
”There were quotes secured, three quotes from three reputable companies recommended by our architect, and this is the lowest one,” Dr. Mayer said. “This permits us to get the soil tested at both sites so we can begin to know what we’re in for with respect to the buildability of both those sites.”
Test borings determine the capability of the soil to support the proposed building additions and the types of building foundations required for the project.
”There’s no expectation that either site is going to be a problem, but this is just part of the process,” Dr. Mayer said.
Voters approved the construction projects in a special Dec. 11 referendum. Sharon Elementary School is getting a two-story, 24-room classroom addition that will enable the school to be converted from a K-3 building to a K-5 building in September 2014. The new addition at Sharon School also will have a gymnasium.
The oldest part of Sharon School that dates to 1954 also is getting upgrades, including new windows and floors, air conditioning and an expansion of the existing kitchen and cafeteria space.
At Pond Road Middle School, the conversion of space in the media center into new classrooms will be done by this September. The expansion of the cafeteria at the middle school is expected to be ready in September 2014.
