HILLSDALE—School trustees unanimously approved a nearly $33.6 million construction contract Sept. 26 with Dobco Inc. of Wayne for full-scale renovations at George White Middle School and construction of a six-classroom addition at the century-old facility.
At a special meeting held Friday, Sept. 26 at 4:30 p.m., trustees awarded the contract to Dobco, the lowest responsible bidder among 10 submissions. Sixteen vendors had picked up specifications, and bids were opened Sept. 24 at district offices.
Superintendent Robert Lombardy, in a Sept. 27 letter to the “Hillsdale Community” on the district’s referendum website, cited earlier delays as the reason the board acted quickly to approve the contract. He and board president Justin Saxon had previously criticized the former local construction code official, whose review hold-up set the project back several months and added hundreds of thousands in costs. That official has since retired.
See “Bids out on George White fixes” by Michael Olohan, Aug. 29, 2025.
Lombardy said most bids clustered between $33 and $35 million, with one high outlier at $37 million. He said construction is scheduled to finish by summer 2027, with a September 2027 opening for the new school year.
Dobco is also building the $14.9 million River Vale Public Safety Complex, due for completion in late 2025.
In his online letter, Lombardy said general construction at George White is expected to begin in November 2025, starting with demolition of the multipurpose room—including the cafetorium and stage area—for complete rebuilding and modernization. Renovations in the three-story academic building and a new two-story wing will proceed simultaneously.
“This carefully planned phasing is designed to maximize efficiency during our tight construction timeline. The work on the main academic core—including HVAC replacement, windows, doors, roofing, and classroom overhauls—are planned to progress steadily,” Lombardy wrote.
The district also plans a second bonding round of approximately $47 million in November to secure the remaining funds for the project.
Council candidate Daniel DeFeo criticized the board for holding its vote at an unusual Friday afternoon meeting and called for better communication. He said notices were placed in publications and locations where residents might not typically look, and not in the Pascack Press or by direct electronic notice.
“Now to be fair, the board schedule is posted on the district website,” DeFeo acknowledged.
Pascack Press does not run public notices. As of March 2026, state law requires such notices be posted on all municipal websites.
Lombardy told Pascack Press the meeting was properly advertised and that, given the delays, the district needed to move quickly to secure contractor approval.
Voters in September 2024 approved a $62.4 million school bond referendum to fund the George White project, including a full renovation and the construction of the two-story, six-classroom addition.