FREEHOLD – As part of an ongoing project to expand the district’s schools and address the issue of student overcrowding, the Freehold Borough K-8 School District Board of Education has awarded two contracts totaling $364,085 for the furnishing and installation of three new playground areas at the Freehold Learning Center elementary school, Dutch Lane Road.
On April 9, board members awarded a $222,385 contract to Gametime MRC for the provision of playground equipment and a $141,700 contract to Rubber Recycle for playground surfacing. Three new playground areas – a primary playground, a pre-kindergarten playground and a secondary playground – will be created at the Freehold Learning Center.
District administrators said $91,897 will fund equipment and $71,500 will fund the surface at the main playground, for a total of $163,397. At the pre-kindergarten playground, $86,040 will fund equipment and $27,300 will fund the surface, for a total of $113,340. At the secondary playground, $44,448 will fund equipment and $42,900 will fund the surface, for a total of $87,348.
The new playground areas are part of an ongoing $33 million construction project being undertaken by the board to expand the district’s three schools: the Freehold Learning Center, the Park Avenue Elementary and the Freehold Intermediate School. The Park Avenue Elementary School and the Freehold Intermediate School share the same building at the Park Avenue Complex, Park Avenue.
In other business, the board approved the $52,275 purchase of baseball field netting from Delger Whiting that will be installed at the Park Avenue Complex baseball field. The netting will be 460 feet in length and 20 feet high. The board passed a resolution to withdraw $52,275 from the capital reserve account.
And, the board acknowledged that Business Administrator Joseph Howe issued an emergency contract in the amount of $6,225 to All Green Lawn and Landscaping for the removal of snow and for ice control at the Park Avenue Complex and at the Freehold Learning Center. The emergency contract was issued because the accumulation of snow, ice and temperatures necessitated the use of heavy snow clearing services and equipment at the properties to ensure the timely and safe reopening of the schools.
