HILLSDALE—The local school board on March 23 approved a $3.5 million increase to the George G. White Middle School renovation contract, pushing the Dobco Inc. agreement from $33,557,000 to $37,057,700 as district works to keep the project on track for a September 2027 opening.
Trustees voted 4-0, with member Justin Saxon absent, to approve the added cost, which officials said reflects both unanticipated construction work and added expenses tied to an accelerated project schedule.
According to Resolution 2BG, $1.8 million of the increase will pay for demolition and replacement of the multipurpose room floor slab, along with associated concrete block walls, foundation walls, footings and related soil and fill work. The resolution says that work was not part of the original scope and will be completed under plans prepared by project architect DiCara Rubino.
The other $1.7 million will pay Dobco to implement and maintain a “Project Recovery Schedule” intended to make up for early delays and deliver the building in time for the start of the 2027-28 school year.
Under that recovery schedule, the district is to gain access to portions of the building by June 15, 2027, and to remaining portions, including the new six-classroom addition, by July 15, 2027. The contract also calls for substantial completion and a temporary certificate of occupancy by Aug. 7, 2027, with final project completion by Sept. 30, 2027.
The resolution says the project suffered a 91-day delay at the outset after a local construction official declined to review or approve project specifications, forcing the district to seek oversight from the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs.
In a March 21 update to the community, Superintendent Robert Lombardy said the board made a “strategic decision” to unearth and remove existing foundations and floor slab in the multipurpose room area, though they had originally been expected to remain. He said the district concluded that full removal would help recover lost time and keep the project moving.
Lombardy also said the asbestos abatement schedule was expedited by removal of the boiler, allowing construction crews improved site access.
The superintendent’s update noted the added project costs. Residents approved a $62.4 million bond referendum in September 2024 to renovate the century-old school after a referendum failed in 2023, and district officials completed final bond borrowing in December 2025.
In related action March 23, the board approved a $9,733.84 change order for plumbing and electrical connections for temporary heat, with the cost deducted from a $900,000 general allowance. That leaves the allowance balance at $889,292.78.
Trustees also approved contract modifications for T&M Associates totaling $6,030 for additional asbestos sampling and for revised boiler room specifications and abatement drawings, increasing that contract to $214,480.
The board approved four change orders for asbestos abatement contractor B&G Restoration totaling $97,080 for emergency cleanup, additional asbestos removal, and related work.
The board also adopted a preliminary 2026–27 budget of $34,301,410, including a general fund tax levy of $26,832,688.