Warren
Hills renovations about to start
Monday, December 19, 205 • By
LYNN OLANOFF • The Express-Times
Construction of four classrooms at Warren
Hills Regional Middle School will begin next month, part of
a $36.8 million district building project approved by voters
last year.
The major portion of the project will be
at Warren Hills Regional High School, where a new cafeteria
and gym will be built. That work is expected to start in the
fall, district officials said last week.
Both schools will undergo significant
renovations. Work at the middle school will create a new
main office, health office and seven classrooms. At the high
school, 13 classrooms and a larger library will be created
from the current cafeteria and gym, among other
uses.
"We're going to get improved classroom
spaces for our kids," said Superintendent Peter Merluzzi.
"It's a good basic plan. It doesn't include a lot of frills,
but it does meet the needs of our kids for the
future."
The school board last month awarded a
$3.5 million contract to Michael Reisz and Co., of Fords,
N.J., for the middle school work. A contract for the high
school is expected to be awarded in the spring, officials
said.
Voters last year approved the referendum
to pay for the work, 1,553 to 1,367. The work is needed,
district officials said, because enrollment exceeds capacity
at both schools.
The work at the middle school is expected
to be completed in November 2006 and fall 2009 at the high
school.
"This should hold us for a while,"
Merluzzi said. "We are OK within a five-year period" of
population projections.
About $13 million of the work is expected
to be paid by the state. Despite recent financial problems
with the New Jersey School Construction Corp., district
officials say they are confident Warren Hills will receive
that amount.
"We have a guarantee for the money," said
Business Administrator Maureen Joyce.
SCC spokesman Kevin McElroy said the
organization has approved the full amount for the
district.
In addition to a more modern space, the
work will provide the district with greater security,
officials said. At the middle school, the main office will
be moved to the front of the building to better monitor
visitors. At the high school, all the athletic facilities
will be moved to the back of the school, so the rest of the
building can be locked off during evening games.
"When we do run events, we'll be able to
close down areas and keep the building more secure," said
Athletic Director Nick Holgash. "It's really the wise move,
because it puts all the athletic facilities together and
puts the library in the middle of the school."
The school won't be getting new outdoor
athletic facilities. A proposal to build a multipurpose
athletic field with artificial turf, track and six tennis
courts failed as a separate referendum last year.
Some fields may be able to be fixed or
built, Merluzzi said, through existing funds and planned
fundraising efforts from residents. The district has few
usable athletic fields and no track or tennis facilities,
officials said.
"The need still exists, so we're going to
have to look at how we address that in the future," Merluzzi
said.
Reporter Lynn Olanoff can be reached at 908-475-8044 or by
e-mail at lolanoff@express-times.com.
© 2005 The Express-Times. Used with
permission.
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