School Repairs Underway for Summer

The Bernards Township school district has jumped into its own summer project for school by now — a list of repairs and improvements at five of of the township's six schools with a goal of finishing before school begins again.

In late June, the approved plans to begin $606,000 worth of projects. Schools Superitendent Nick Markarian said the funds are coming from the approved 2012-13 school budget.

The school district is not borrowing any money to perform the work, he said.

Markarian said approved and planned projects include:

Floor replacement in cafeteria, repairs to canopy over front sidewalks at school off Peachtree Road.

Replacement of handicap ramps at cafe, and gym, fascia and gutter repairs on original building; work already started on retaining walls behind the school off Church Street.

Replace carpet with tile in several rooms, repairs to old front entrance repairs (paint, stairs and handrails); spot maintenance to pointing on old building, minor brick repairs, cupola replacement on old building off West Oak Street.

One interior wall added to create another office in the guidance suite (for a secretary that was moved to that location) at campus off South Finley Avenue.

Maintenance work in the auditorium includes new carpet and paint floor; some replacement lockers in the 400 wing.

"This is maintenace work that needs to be done — some [projects are] more overdue than others," Markarian said.

During budget discussions this spring, a number board members, including William Koch, who heads the board's facilities committee, have said that schools have many maintenance and repairs issues that have not been addressed in a long time. While some projects can be put off and funded in future years, other tasks require more immediate attention, according to Koch and other board members.

The board's next scheduled meeting is 4 p.m. on Thursday, July 19, at the Board of Education building at 101 Peachtree Road. The meeting is a regular business meeting, but no agenda is available until next week, according to the board office.