Schools

School Roof Replacements to Impact Summer Programs

Teams will use other Westfield school buildings while work takes place at the high school, Washington and Roosevelt schools.

Westfield School District Business Administrator Dana Sullivan outlined how the upcoming roof replacements at Westfield High School, Roosevelt Intermediate School and Washington Elementary School will impact summer programs.

At Tuesday night's meeting, Sullivan said she met earlier in the day with the contractor who will work on WHS' roof. He said work will begin on June 26, the day after graduation. The building will be unavailable until August 12th, Sullivan said. The contractor will start replacing the roof over the gyms first so that they will be open to fall sports teams beginning August 12th. High school sports teams as well as town teams who would use the high school will be relocated to Edison Intermediate School while the work is underway.

"But as you know, we also have another project going on at Edison. We have bleachers being removed and replaced," she said. "The bleachers will be removed the week of June 17th because they don't actually use the gym that week."

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Sullivan said high school teams will start using the Edison gym on June 24th and continue through August 5th.

"That will leave one week that the high school will use outdoor facilities for some of their activities and they're ok with that," she said. "So we can give the contractor back the (Edison) gym on August 5th and have the bleachers installed and have it all ready for school opening."

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Sullivan said she has met with the director of the Westfield Recreation Department and is still working with outside entitities to make the necessary appropriations to accommodate all activities.

"But at this point with some cromprising and changing of times and what-not we're basically able to fit everything into the other buildings," she said.

The outside field at WHS will be available for use throughout the summer, she added. During the week of August 5th, volleyball and wrestling teams will use elementary school gyms. Parents of children in recreation summer programs will be notified directly by the Rec department as to where those programs will be held, said Sullivan, who noted that she believes all of the rec programs have been moved, with most occurring within the requested time slots. 

Board member Gretchan Ohlig asked Sullivan if next summer's scheduling would prove even "trickier" as work will take place on the district's remaining buildings. Sullivan said she anticipated that it might in fact be easier as the high school will be available for use.

At the Board meeting held on April 9, a contract was awarded to Winchester Roofing Corp. of Turnersville, whose bid was $2,488,000 for the partial roof replacement at WHS. Pravco, Inc. of Rahway was awarded the contracts for the partial roof replacements at both Roosevelt and Washington schools. The company bid $945,180 and $531,270, respectively. 

In December, residents passed a $13.6 million bond referendum that would fund the repair and replacement of the district's 12 buildings.


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