The Haddonfield Board of Education met for its December meeting on Thursday, with board members receiving an update on the planning process for various projects that borough voters approved in last year’s $46.7 million bond referendum. A representative from LAN Associates, the engineering firm that is managing the school district’s referendum projects, said that the past month was the busiest they have had so far. He reported that the Hopkins Parcel turf field and lot and Central Elementary School interior alterations projects are in the design phase, with bids expected to be released to contractors in January and February. The planned gym on the Hopkins Parcel is in the earlier stages of design, he said. Two other projects in the design phase had their timelines advanced to meet maintenance and cost concerns: the roof replacement at Central School in response to current leaks, which he said is scheduled for bidding and award in March, and the Memorial High School cupola replacement to coincide with the auditorium renovation project.
The projects currently out for bids include additions and alterations to the high school as well as J. Fithian Tatem and Elizabeth Haddon Elementary Schools. At the high school, the auditorium will be fully renovated and the entry vestibule and two C-Building classrooms will receive alterations. The alterations and additions at Tatem and Haddon schools, which will create new libraries and classrooms in both, were combined into one contract to increase competition, according to the LAN representative, who remarked that it has achieved “quite a bit of interest” from contractors.
Submitted bids for the high school window replacement project were opened last week, the LAN representative said. The Board voted at the end of the meeting to award the contract for that project to Panoramic Window and Door Systems for slightly over $2 million. The bids for interior alterations to the 1890s building at Central School, which was formerly the B.O.E.’s offices but is set to be used as classroom space, were received in October but were all over budget for the district, according to the LAN representative. The project was rebid last week, but the bids were over budget again, he said. He added that the second rejection allows negotiations to be opened with the bidders in accordance with state statute, which occurred this week, and that they hope to award the contract in January.
In addition to the referendum projects update, the Board enjoyed a performance from elementary school band musicians and heard a report from high school student representative Jack McKeever ‘26. McKeever highlighted the athletic accomplishments of the boys’ cross-country team, which finished ninth at the national competition in Oregon last week, the beginning of the winter sports season, and the results of a school-wide survey revealing that 84% of students want a homecoming dance. He also noted the success of November’s Spirit Week, which raised more than $34,000 and 4,700 pounds of canned goods for charity.
Finally, Superintendent Charles Klaus warned that “we’re expecting a challenging budget” for the next fiscal year, and that he and Business Administrator Michael Catalano had already begun exploring options. Mr. Klaus said that he hoped to begin holding meetings with PTAs to explain the challenges and choices of the upcoming budget.
The Board will hold its annual reorganization meeting, where the election of officers and other administrative tasks for the new year will take place, on January 6th.
