Toms River Schools Opening On Time Despite Project Challenges

Toms River NJ

01 September, 2021

3:55 PM

Description

TOMS RIVER, NJ — Electrical service was turned back on Monday and Tuesday at Hooper Avenue and Cedar Grove elementary schools, a key step to reopening those buildings when school starts Sept. 8, district officials said Tuesday. Referendum work at those two schools and others in the district, including Toms River Intermediate South and Toms River High School North, will be continuing and will be done primarily after school hours to finish the projects that started earlier this summer, Assistant Superintendent James Ricotta said Tuesday as he updated the Toms River Regional Board of Education on the progress. Referendum projects at those two schools and others, including Toms River Intermediate East and Toms River High School North, have been slowed because of supply chain issues, worker shortages and related problems, Ricotta said. "It's been a perfect storm," Ricotta said. "There are global supply chain delays," and the builder, Bennett Construction, has struggled with manpower issues that are plaguing many industries. "We're having a problem with materials being delivered or taken away," he said, "because there aren't enough truck drivers with CDLs." For example, dumpsters filled with concrete removed from the buildings have sat full, waiting for removal so more can be brought in to continue work. The work at Hooper Avenue and Cedar Grove has included window replacements and the addition of unit ventilators to provide fresh air and air conditioning and heating to classrooms. To handle the load of those new systems and rooftop air conditioning units to cool main areas of the schools such as gymnasiums and hallways, the electrical systems in both schools had to be updated and the electrical panels replaced. As that work neared completion, Ricotta said, there were delays with Jersey Central Power & Light. "They had to send the trucks at our site to help with repairs from (Tropical Storm) Henri," Ricotta said. Interim Superintendent Stephen Genco said the builder, Bennett, has its crews working double shifts through the weekend, including Labor Day, and through Rosh Hashanah to complete work, and they will be working after school once classes start to complete projects that are underway right now. The work at the two schools is part of the $147 million bond package approved in the January 2019 referendum. The district also is continuing work through the Energy Savings Improvement Program, which includes the unit ventilation work. Ricotta said Intermediate East, which is part of the same project group as Hooper Avenue and Cedar Grove, has new electrical service and several new rooftop air conditioning units to cool the gym, locker rooms, auditorium, cafeterias, hallways, and office spaces. The unit ventilators at Intermediate East are running, and new windows were installed throughout the building. Flooring was replaced and new hydration stations, which replaced old water fountains, are in place. At Hooper Avenue, the power restoration allowed the district to move on to installing the new unit ventilators for the classrooms. "These unit ventilators will be wired to provide fresh air supply, and pipe work will continue so air conditioning and heat will be delivered through these new units," Ricotta said. Roofing and the completion of the security vestibule also will continue, Ricotta said. At Cedar Grove, new unit ventilators are being installed in classrooms "and will be functioning to provide fresh air supply to the rooms," Ricotta said. Work to add air conditioning and heat through the units will continue. The new rooftop units will air condition the gym, cafeterias, hallways and offices. Work is continuing on the special needs bathrom at that school as well, along with the security vestibule and outside window sills, Ricotta said. At Toms River High School North, the auditorium renovation is waiting for the arrival of the new seats, which are delayed because of supply chain issues, he said. In addition to the school construction updates, Genco said the district has updated its "Road Forward" document on coronavirus pandemic restrictions and procedures. Among the key changes: while masks are required while students are on the school buses and in school, there are some updates to that information, according to the document: District staff, students, and visitors are required to wear face coverings except under thefollowing circumstances:a. Excessive Heat impacting indoors [weekly communication will keep families informed]b. Health/Medical Condition or Disability (IEP, 504, IHP)c. Engaged in Activity that cannot be performed wearing a mask: Eating, Drinking, Playing anInstrumentd. Engaged in high-intensity aerobic or anaerobic activitye. Participating in high-intensity physical activities during PE Classf. Emergent medical condition circumstancesg. Wearing a mask creates an unsafe condition to execute a task. Mask breaks will be a regular part of the school day and a part of the routine and procedures of all classrooms at every level. In addition: Updated NJDOE Road Forward Guidance, Aug. 20, 2021 In the K–12 indoor classroom setting, if both the infected student and the exposed student(s)are wearing well-fitting masks the entire time they were within 3-6 feet of each other, theexposed student: Will NO LONGER BE CONSIDERED A CLOSE CONTACT and, therefore,Will NO LONGER BE SUBJECT TO QUARANTINE RESTRICTIONS. This exception does NOT apply to teachers, staff, or other adults in the indoor classroom setting. 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