BRICK – A recent special meeting of the township Board of Education provided an update on the various work being performed within the schools of the community.
School Business Administrator James Edwards, Jr., provided an extensive facilities committee report about various work projects taking place at township school buildings.
“The Lake Riviera Middle School project is completed,” Edwards announced. “(Veterans) Memorial Middle School is underway with the electrical transformer upgrade. The hope is to have startup by September for the opening of school.”
He added that regarding work at Warren H. Wolf Learning Center involved thermal piping. “UVs have been demolished and removed and the new ventilators are currently being delivered. The condenser units are on site. The rooftop units are still pending delivery but are anticipated soon.”
UV units, specifically UV-C lights, are increasingly used in buildings to improve indoor air quality and HVAC system efficiency by killing or inactivating airborne pathogens like mold, bacteria, and viruses. These units are installed in HVAC systems (both in-duct and on-coil) and can also be used in upper-room configurations for continuous air disinfection.
Edwards noted Jersey State Controls was still “working on the control coordination and is on site.” He said the Herbertsville Elementary preschool facility was undergoing work by Chappelle Mechanical. “The UVs have been demolished and removed. The asbestos abatement has concluded. There is a change order pending review related to pre-cast iron radiators.”
“Midstream Elementary School’s kitchen project has “encountered an issue with the sanitary sewer pipe tie-in. A new resolution has been brought in through engineering, and the contractors are implementing it. All other mechanical issues and components are on schedule,” he added.
He also noted that air conditioning projects at Midstream and Osbornville schools were progressing on schedule and should be complete by August 22. Osbonville’s kitchen project “is also progressing on schedule.” A new access ramp had not yet shipped at the time of the special BOE meeting. Contractors will construct temporary stairs if the ramp does not arrive in time for the start of the new school year.
“The food service department will be able to utilize the elevator to be able to get into the space through the multi-purpose room,” Edwards said.
As to a long-range facility plan, Board member George Malgeri commented that he had informed “the committee that there was no decision on the awarding of a contract for the development of a long-range facility plan until the Board has proved plans for the architects of record.” That was on the night’s agenda. The next facilities committee meeting is at 4:30 p.m. on August 18.
The Finance Committee also met and discussions included the 2025-2026 budget. Edwards reported “the tax levy incentive aid application is still pending. I did hear from the County that there were questions on two items that we had previously had changed so I expected to have the approval soon.”
Regarding the community solar project, the Board will be able to award a contract for it at their August meeting, he added.
Edwards noted that the various district RFPs (requests for proposals) were reviewed by the committee. The competitive contracts that were outstanding include substitute services, the grant consulting completive contract “which the committee decided not to move forward with at this time because of the costs involved with such, the architect of record, the auditor, civil engineer of record, financial adviser of record, labor counsel, general legal counsel, special education legal counsel.”
“I informed the committee that I was still reviewing the civil engineers and that we will have that ready for the August Board meeting,” Edwards added.
He informed the committee that a meeting with the PTA and public officials would be held to discuss improvements at Drum Point Elementary Playground and to “review conditions at Drum Point Elementary School.
It was noted by BOE meeting regular Vic Finelli that the session was absent a board attorney and that if it wasn’t a legal requirement to have one, the district would save “paying an attorney $500 a meeting to sit there and say nothing.”
Last month the Board chose not to reinstate several school district professionals. Board members remarked that they didn’t want to automatically rehire those professionals in favor of seeing what other firms had to offer.
Finelli also questioned the 15 planned field trips listed on the agenda for approval. He expressed his view that “until such time as scholastic achievement improves at least to the state average you really ought to seriously look at increasing classroom time. I think we finished last year at 135 field trips.”
He also expressed hope that a $488,000 grant that would be used for school security purposes was awarded to the school district. “It is a lot of money for anything.”
