Bloomingdale District Accepts SRD Repair Proposals

The construction costs for several repairs to the  will be budgeted for in the 2012-2013 budget, as approved by the Monday night.

The board accepted proposals from LAN Associates for a partial flat roof replacement on the main building of the school, partial flat roof replacement on the wing addition, replacement of underground storm water lines, engineering services for parking lot repaving at both the SRD School and the (WTB) and architecture and engineering services for new vinyl floor tile replacement at SRD (The board also accepted a proposal from RK Occupational & Environmental Analysis Inc. for engineering services for vinyl asbestos floor tile removal at SRD). LAN Associates was also approved Monday to prepare bid specifications for exterior and gym door replacements at WTB.

The costs, as submitted in the proposals, that were approved Monday are as follows:

SRD Partial Roof Replacement Project*

Architecture and Engineering for Underground Storm Water Line Replacement at SRD

Engineering for Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tile Removal at SRD

Architecture and Engineering for New Vinyl Floor Tile at SRD

Architecture and Engineering for Parking Lot Repaving at SRD and WTB

*Information provided by the Bloomingdale Board of Education

The board will be seeking "emergent" project status from the Passaic County Superintendent of Schools so that the school district can expense the funds for all fees associated with the design documents for these projects from the 2011-2012 fiscal year from the capital outlay fund. The projects were also the subject of a brief discussion after Board Member Cathy Gurbisz voiced concern over the construction costs coming out of the 2012-2013 budget.

"We should have a referendum for the vast needs that we have," Interim Superintendent Dr. Terrance Brennan said. 

Brennan did not dispute that the repairs need to be completed now, but said he felt that they should have been completed sooner.

"It has to get done, there's safety factors," he said. "In my opinion, you waited too long."

But Business Administrator George Hagl told the board that the district plans to pay for the repairs by withdrawing money from capital reserve funds and supplementing with surplus funds. Hagl said many repairs are needed districtwide and that when it came to which projects to repair this year, it became a matter of prioritization.

"The feelings were that the Donald School needed more urgent repairs," he said. "We have the funds in the next budget to apply towards these projects."

Board Member Rich Dellaripa also pointed out that "bond rates are extremely low." Brennan agreed with Dellaripa about the low cost of borrowing money.

Gurbisz questioned whether the district should be investing in the school at all, mentioning how it was considered for closure in 2010. According to a 2010 article in the Suburban Trends, an ad hoc committee was developed to examine the feasibility of closing SRD and moving those students to the . The original thought was that closing SRD may save the district money.

But Board Vice President John Pituch, who chaired the ad hoc committee, said Monday there would not have been enough space for education in Martha B. Day and that closing the school is not being considered at this time.

"You're dealing with children, you have to have a certain environment," he said. "You just can't put 20 kids in a closet."

Gurbisz thought the repairs that were proposed would merely mask a bigger issue of the overall condition of the school then.

"We're putting a bandaid on something that desperately needs to be addressed, but it's a very high price," she said.

Gurbisz and Board Member Andrew Samuel abstained from the vote on the projects, as Gurbisz said she during the majority of discussions on the projects and she did not feel comfortable voting on them. Samuel expressed that he was uncomfortable with the costs associated with the parking lot repaving projects as he felt they were too high.