Delran School District ‘shovel ready’ for school year
Delran Township School District is freshening up its look before students hit the books this fast-approaching school year through district-wide construction projects.
Construction began during summer vacation this year to diminish the impact of the project on the district’s nearly 3,000 students.
“It is important to invest in the necessary facilities to benefit our students today, and in the future. We, within the district, are so grateful that community members appreciate that and are willing to support us,” said director of special projects Lee-Anne Oros.
The community approved a referendum vote for the $26-million dollar project Dec. 9, 2008. The referendum identified funds by allowing the overall tax increase to be about $171 per year for an average home assessed at $234,000.
Bathrooms dating back to the 1960s and ’70s are being renovated at Delran High School, which was built in 1975, Millbridge Elementary School, built in 1969, and Delran Middle School, built in 1960.
Through the construction, the restroom facilities will be more environmentally sustainable and accessible by the start of the school year.
The design plan for the bathrooms include safety railings, wider doors, greener automatic sinks, hand dryers, and toilets and urinals that use less water in each flush. “We need to make sure that the entire building is accessible to everyone. That is very important to us,” Oros said.
Currently, the high school auditorium is completely gutted in preparation for new flooring, lighting, seating, a sound system and an open ceiling design that accommodates the auditorium’s natural acoustics. The auditorium hasn’t been updated since it was originally built in 1977 and will be ready for the 2010-2011 school year.
Despite the auditorium’s temporary closure, Oros said the district will make adjustments to theater programming to ensure no programs are canceled.
“We are trying to think outside of the box. We are considering looking at alternate locations and making programming adjustments,” Oros said. “The show will go on, but just in a different way. We don’t want any negative effects.”
The district also has plans to build a new science wing starting in the summer of 2010 at the Delran Middle School and at Delran High School. Once the science wing is added at the high school, the current science classrooms will be converted into classrooms for other subjects and office space.
“The new science facilities will allow us to have upgraded modern classrooms and incorporate a state-of-the-art science and technology curriculum for our kids,” Oros said.
Much like the new green bathrooms, the new science wing classrooms are designed to be environmentally friendly with windows facing the sunlight and motion-controlled lighting in the hallways and common areas to save energy.
This fall a new bus safety loop and excavation for playground sports fields at Delran Intermediate School will begin and is estimated to be completed by the spring of 2010. Also, a new fire alarm system will be installed at Delran High School by September 2009.
“It’s such a group and team effort to make sure such a large, extensive project goes smoothly. So far we are on schedule and within budget,” Oros said.
According to district business administrator Chris Russo, the project planning for the construction project began about five years ago. All district construction is estimated to be completed by the end of 2011.
“The goal is to provide a safe and secure environment for the kids, to improve educational spaces because of overcrowding, and to provide opportunities for long-term energy efficiency savings as well,” Russo said. -
Construction began during summer vacation this year to diminish the impact of the project on the district’s nearly 3,000 students.
“It is important to invest in the necessary facilities to benefit our students today, and in the future. We, within the district, are so grateful that community members appreciate that and are willing to support us,” said director of special projects Lee-Anne Oros.
The community approved a referendum vote for the $26-million dollar project Dec. 9, 2008. The referendum identified funds by allowing the overall tax increase to be about $171 per year for an average home assessed at $234,000.
Bathrooms dating back to the 1960s and ’70s are being renovated at Delran High School, which was built in 1975, Millbridge Elementary School, built in 1969, and Delran Middle School, built in 1960.
Through the construction, the restroom facilities will be more environmentally sustainable and accessible by the start of the school year.
The design plan for the bathrooms include safety railings, wider doors, greener automatic sinks, hand dryers, and toilets and urinals that use less water in each flush. “We need to make sure that the entire building is accessible to everyone. That is very important to us,” Oros said.
Currently, the high school auditorium is completely gutted in preparation for new flooring, lighting, seating, a sound system and an open ceiling design that accommodates the auditorium’s natural acoustics. The auditorium hasn’t been updated since it was originally built in 1977 and will be ready for the 2010-2011 school year.
Despite the auditorium’s temporary closure, Oros said the district will make adjustments to theater programming to ensure no programs are canceled.
“We are trying to think outside of the box. We are considering looking at alternate locations and making programming adjustments,” Oros said. “The show will go on, but just in a different way. We don’t want any negative effects.”
The district also has plans to build a new science wing starting in the summer of 2010 at the Delran Middle School and at Delran High School. Once the science wing is added at the high school, the current science classrooms will be converted into classrooms for other subjects and office space.
“The new science facilities will allow us to have upgraded modern classrooms and incorporate a state-of-the-art science and technology curriculum for our kids,” Oros said.
Much like the new green bathrooms, the new science wing classrooms are designed to be environmentally friendly with windows facing the sunlight and motion-controlled lighting in the hallways and common areas to save energy.
This fall a new bus safety loop and excavation for playground sports fields at Delran Intermediate School will begin and is estimated to be completed by the spring of 2010. Also, a new fire alarm system will be installed at Delran High School by September 2009.
“It’s such a group and team effort to make sure such a large, extensive project goes smoothly. So far we are on schedule and within budget,” Oros said.
According to district business administrator Chris Russo, the project planning for the construction project began about five years ago. All district construction is estimated to be completed by the end of 2011.
“The goal is to provide a safe and secure environment for the kids, to improve educational spaces because of overcrowding, and to provide opportunities for long-term energy efficiency savings as well,” Russo said. -
