The Lawrence Township Public Schools Board of Education has awarded a contract for the installation of new siding on modular classroom buildings at the district’s four elementary schools.
During a recent meeting, the board awarded a $356,217 contract to Tortorice Contractors Inc. of Sewell. New siding will be installed on the modular buildings at the Slackwood School, the Eldridge Park School, the Lawrenceville Elementary School and the Ben Franklin Elementary School.
The work is being funded by a $25.1 million bond referendum that was approved by voters in January 2018 to pay for improvements at each school in the district. The state is paying 40% of the tab for the new debt.
The referendum earmarked money to pay for installing air conditioning in classrooms and other areas where it is lacking in the schools. Air conditioning has been added piecemeal over the years to some classrooms, gymnasiums, cafeterias and auditoriums.
Work on the installation of air conditioning took place during the summer of 2019 and more work will take place this summer. In 2019, bids totaling $11.9 million were awarded to several contractors to install air conditioning in the schools.
The referendum also included money for restroom modifications and to install an elevator at the Lawrence Middle School.
Money was also set aside to replace the boilers at the Lawrence Middle School and at Lawrence High School. The three boilers at the high school have been replaced. The middle school heating system has been converted from steam to hot water, district administrators said.
New ramps and decks have been installed on the modular classroom buildings at the Slackwood School, the Eldridge Park School, the Lawrenceville Elementary School and the Ben Franklin Elementary School.
New windows have also been installed on the modular classroom buildings at the four elementary schools. The siding installation is the final project for the modular classroom buildings.
Security vestibules which control visitor access to a building have been installed at the Slackwood School, the Eldridge Park School and the Lawrence Intermediate School, district administrators said.
Security vestibules were already in place at the Lawrenceville Elementary School, the Ben Franklin Elementary School and at Lawrence High School.
