School district adds items back into building project

BY JENNIFER KOHLHEPP
Staff Writer

MILLSTONE - The Board of Education has restored $1 million worth of accessories it previously cut from its ongoing construction plan.

The Millstone Township School District is currently creating a new middle school off Baird Road and Waters Lane and making renovations to its existing schools.

Voters passed the $34.5 million school referendum for the project on March 9, 2004. They agreed to let the district spend $30.8 million to build a new middle school, make renovations to the current middle school and redesign the traffic flow at the elementary school. Voters also agreed to allow the district to spend $3.1 on the creation of an auditorium at the new middle school, and to spend $530,240 for the construction of new bathrooms at the elementary school.

Construction of the new middle school has been under way since May 21. It is currently 40 percent complete, under budget and three weeks ahead of schedule, according to new Board of Education President Mary Ann Friedman.

However, in August the board had to cut $3.9 million from the design of the new middle school due to a huge increase in the cost of construction materials.

Cuts included reducing the small-group instruction (SGI) rooms from 10 to six, reducing the size of the media production studio and eliminating some of the special education classrooms.

Although two separate, full computer labs were planned for the new middle school, there will now only be one full lab, with another smaller lab in the media center.

Air-conditioning from the gym was also eliminated as well as parking spaces, which were reduced from 600 to 400 spots.

"Before the Board of Education went out to bid," Superintendent William Setaro said, "the construction manager of the new middle school project told us we were over budget and had to cut elements from our project."

Setaro said the board completely cut some items from the project, while other items were set aside on a priority list.

"We made the priority list of items we might be able to put back in after the bids went out," Setaro said.

When the bids went out, Setaro said the board realized the building project was actually under budget by $1.5 million.

"We took a look and decided that some items could be put back in," he said.

The board decided to put a chlorinated/fluorinated water system in its two existing schools, the Millstone Township Middle School on Millstone Road and the Millstone Township Elementary School on Schoolhouse Road. The systems will cost a total of $115,000.

The new middle school will also have such a system, Setaro said, but it was not something the board had ever removed from the building project.

According to Setaro, a chlorinated/fluorinated water system will eliminate certain bacteria from the well water.

"The system could eliminate some of the bacteria problems with the water that we have experienced at both schools in the past," Setaro said.

"The fluoride provides extra treatment for students' teeth," he added.

Setaro said the board also opted to put back an irrigation system/sprinklers for the outdoor athletic fields at the new middle school.

The new middle school will also get recessed floor mats near its front doorways.

"Instead of mats that are just thrown on top of the floor, the mats will be set into the floor and even with the floor," Setaro said.

The board also decided to put one handball court and two basketball courts back into the new middle school plan, he said.

"These will be outdoors for kids' recreation," Setaro said.

Setaro said the district has also added $500,000 back into the funding for technology at the new middle school.

He said the board has agreed as well to put $75,000 into an upgraded security system, which will involve putting electric locks on all the doors in the new middle school.

In addition, the district decided to reinstate $20,000 for the preparation of the surface for a brick walkway, which will be located outside the new middle school's auditorium and gymnasium, Setaro said.

The district wants to hold a special fundraiser during which residents and other interested individuals or local businesses could purchase the bricks. Those who make donations will have their names engraved on the bricks, which will be installed in the walkway.

Setaro said the district has also added back some money to fund the purchase of additional maintenance equipment for the new middle school.

When asked if the board would like to reinstate other items cut from the building project, Setaro said, "If, down the road, we still have money left over. We will have to wait and see."

When asked what items remain on the district's priority list of things it would like to see put back into the project, Setaro said, "A storage facility for maintenance equipment at the new school site and new playground equipment at the elementary and middle schools."