Almost All of the District's Schools Will Be Reroofed by September

Because of a torrent of activity over the summer on the roofs of all the district's 24 schools, most of them will be ready for students when school doors open on Sept. 6. 

The roofs on five schools, however, won't be completed until November, said Business Administrator Dennis DeMarino.

"They will be started by this week," DeMarino said.

The affected schools include three elementary schools: Ford Ave. School #14 in Fords, Kennedy Park School #24 in Iselin, and Ross St. School #11 in Woodbridge. Both Fords and Woodbridge middle schools have been started, DeMarino said, but the Woodbridge middle school reroofing has been held up as the district coordinates its efforts with the township, which is having air-conditioning installed in the building.

The township is waiting for permits from the state Dept. of Education and Community Affairs to install the air-conditioning units, said township spokesman John Hagerty.

All of Woodbridge Middle School, including the classrooms, will be air-conditioned, Hagerty said.

The roofing work are the schools that aren't finished will be done during the evenings and weekends, DeMarino said, so as not to disrupt students in their studies.

"These were the five schools with the best roofs," he said, adding that the buildings with the roofing in the worst shape was completed first after school let out for the summer. "Most of the roofs have been completed ahead of schedule."

Three roofing contractors have been laboring on the district's school buildings to get them ready in time for the September school session, DeMarino said.

The roofing was desperately needed, school officials said, when they were pushing for the passage of a to finance the roofing projects. Woodbridge voters unanimously approved the $32.5 million referendum last December. Voter approval was necessary in order for the district to qualify for a $8.9 million state grant.

The new school roofing is the first step in a project to outfit the district's schools with solar panels, which officials claim will reduce the district's cost of electricity to taxpayers. Advocates of the bond referendum said that the tax increase for the roofing and solar panel combo would increase taxes on an average home in the township by only $7. Without the solar panels, the cost would've gone up by $25, they said.

The panels have not yet been installed on the newly-roofed schools, DeMarino said. "The big thing is waiting for the panels. They are so popular, the manufacturers are back ordered," he said.

The installation of the solar panels is scheduled to be completed by August, 2012. Pravco, a solar panel firm in Rahway, was the low bidder on one contract and has been awarded the project to complete the panel installation on 12 of the schools, DeMarino said.