School Board Leases Foley Field To Township

The Bloomfield School Board signed a contract with township officials to lease Foley Field on Tuesday night. School officials also approved contracts with the school attorney and the district's supervisors' and principals' unions. 

School Board President Mary Shaughnessy and Superintendent Jason Bing said the renovations at Foley Field are moving forward and temporary bleachers will be put in by September in time for the Bloomfield High School Bengals' first game. 

Shaughnessy said the long-jump is being laid out and the turf carpet should be put down within the next several days. "We're in good shape," Shaughnessy said about the work on the field, which will seat 900 people. She added "it's state-of-the-art field with faux wrought-iron fencing."

The project was estimated to cost about $2.9 million. At the board meeting, school officials signed an agreement to lease the Foley Field to the township for 25 years at the annual rate of $1. The township, in turn, would acquire funding from the state Department of Environmental Protection's Green Acres program to help pay for part of the renovations. 

Bloomfield officials announced in February the township would receive a $900,000 grant from the state DEP's Green Acres program; funding is contingent on the state Legislature passing an appropriations bill. 

Shaughnessy said that Green Acres funding is still being worked on and that Mayor Raymond McCarthy would also apply for money from the county's open space fund. 

In other news....

• The school board approved a new three-year contract with the unions representing supervisors and principals, Bing said. The contract with the principals will include merit pay based on professional growth similar to Florida school districts, Bing said. 

• School Board member Maribel Perez said the secretaries' union is the last group to discuss a contract with and she hopes a new one may be reached this week. 

• School Attorney Nick Dotoli's contract was renewed for another year for an annual fee capped at $225,000 for general counsel and $25,000 to work on litigation regarding construction at Bloomfield High School. 

• School officials tabled a one-year contract for Business Administrator Michael Dederian, which is pending review from the Essex County Executive Superintendent. 

• The School Board awarded a $93,813 contract to American Bus & Coach of Trenton to purchase one 54-passenger bus.