RIVER VALE—The River Vale Board of Education has awarded contracts for bond referendum construction projects at all three district schools, paving the way for major building work this summer.
The contracts were the first approved for projects since last April’s referendum.
The board awarded a $5,870,000 contract at its Feb. 1 meeting for an addition and renovations at Holdrum Middle School to APS Contracting of Paterson. The company’s bid was the lowest among 16 submissions.
Two other contracts, for extensive renovations at Roberge Elementary and new rooftop HVAC units at Woodside, were awarded on Jan. 25.
H&S Construction & Mechanical of Elizabeth was the low bidder on the Roberge construction, for a total of $5,685,000, as well as the Woodside project, for $1,235,000.
H&S was one of 13 contractors submitting bids for the Roberge work, and among six bidders for the Woodside project.
The construction at Roberge includes classroom unit ventilators for heating, cooling and filtration; new lighting and flooring; renovation of eight bathrooms; and an accessibility upgrade for the nurse’s office bathroom.
“We’re excited to move closer to improvements that will make school an even better place for River Vale students,” said Superintendent of Schools Melissa Signore.
She added “The renovations will make our classrooms brighter, more open spaces for learning and collaborating. And the HVAC work is essential for student comfort. The timely award of these bids will allow us to complete plenty of work during the summer months when students are not in the building.”
The district also rejected two over-budget bids it received for main entrance canopies at the three schools. The project will be re-advertised at a later date.
Voters also approved the following projects in the referendum:
- Roof replacement at Woodside Elementary School and Holdrum Middle School, and partial roof replacement at Roberge Elementary;
- New classroom unit ventilators and replacement of rooftop HVAC units at Roberge;
- Holdrum HVAC upgrades; and
- Holdrum and Woodside classroom improvements.
The long-anticipated opportunity to provide district-wide air conditioning was the centerpiece of last year’s bond referendum. Construction will be done in phases, with all projects targeted for completion by the end of summer 2024.
The district’s architect, LAN Associates, is responsible for drawing up final designs for each of the projects, preparing bid specifications and ensuring compliance with state code.
EPIC Management adds another layer of oversight; the construction manager reviews bids to make sure they reflect market value. EPIC will have a construction trailer on site during the projects.
The referendum authorized River Vale Public Schools to finance the projects by borrowing $33,325,000 through the sale of bonds.
State aid that is only available through a voter-approved referendum will contribute 29.3% toward the project costs.
River Vale also applied $6.7 million from its capital reserve funds as a “down payment,” reducing the amount of borrowing.
For more information visit rivervaleschools.com/vote.