Bernards Schools Looks To Electrify Buses, Moves Ahead With Charging Station

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — The Bernards Township School District is moving ahead with a $4,000 grant for a charging station and is still exploring a separate $300,000 grant to electrify a school bus.

Board of Education(BOE) member Keith Molianri, who sits on the Facilities & Operations committee, gave updates at the May 18 BOE meeting.

Molianri said the district applied for and obtained approval for two grants through the DEP program.

One grant is for $300,000 to electrify a school bus, which the district is still exploring.

The second is an approximately $4,000 grant for a charging station that the district is moving ahead with.

The committee also discussed an update to the district's five-year facilities plan.

Director of Facilities Bill Mickley is beginning walkthroughs with an architect and expects to have a list of projects ready for discussion at the June meeting.

Five larger summer maintenance projects are expected to be underway.

They include carpet replacement in the Ridge High School media center, new gym wall mats and painting at Liberty Corner School, painting in the Oak Street School gym, and a security website update and gym painting at Cedar Hill School.

Molianri also shared progress on the varsity field project.

Work is proceeding on drainage for the field to be turfed. No change orders have been issued so far.

The installation of the main drainage pipe has begun, and Molinari noted that this part of the project is the most likely to produce a change order if the contractor encounters immovable rock.

At Cedar Hill, preliminary roof work started over spring break and is ahead of schedule, according to Molinari.

The roof is expected to be finished this summer.

The Ridge High School track project is set to begin after graduation so it does not interfere with commencement. Completion is estimated to be in mid-September.

As a result, the athletic director is preparing alternatives to Lee Field for early fall activities.

The committee also reviewed Oak Street paving bid results.

The BOE received three bids for the work. The lowest bid of $302,539.75 was submitted by Crossroads Paving and was approved by the board at the meeting.

The next Board of Education meeting is scheduled for June 15 at the Ridge High School PAC.

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