Princeton school district officials have awarded contracts for renovations to the Princeton High School (PHS) cafeteria, as well as new security vestibules and new classroom doors at the district’s flagship school.
The Princeton Public Schools Board of Education awarded the contracts at a meeting in February. The projects are part of a $12.9 million school bond referendum approved by voters in November 2023.
A contract for $1.6 million for the PHS cafeteria upgrades was awarded to the Blackstone Group LLC, which was one of four bidders for the job. The bids ranged from Blackstone Group’s low bid of $1.6 million to as much as $2 million.
The cafeteria is being renovated to improve the flow of students at lunchtime. A variety of seating options are included, as well as more cashier stations. Seating will be increased by about 50% to 400 seats.
Kitchen renovations include the installation of a commercial dishwasher, which will reduce the reliance on plastic utensils. Serving and cooking equipment will be modernized, as needed.
The Blackstone Group LLC also was awarded a contract for $930,000 for upgraded classroom doors and locks at PHS and Princeton Middle School. It was one of five bidders for the job. The bids ranged $930,000 to as much as $1.3 million.
A $345,000 contract for new security vestibules at PHS’ main entrance and at its Performing Arts Center entrance was awarded to J.H. Williams Enterprises Inc. It was one of four bidders for the job. The bids ranged from $345,000 to as much as $835,700.
The November 2023 school bond referendum was billed as a security and technology bond referendum. The goal was to address security and technology upgrades.
The State of New Jersey is contributing about $5 million toward debt service payments. It will offset the local tax impact, which is estimated at $104 for the owner of a house assessed at the town average of $848,037.
