Unexpected Problems Found During Cranford Schools Renovation Work

CRANFORD, NJ — As crews work to complete major renovations across Cranford’s schools this summer, district officials say they have uncovered several unexpected issues hidden inside some of the district’s older buildings, including deteriorated flooring and decades-old plumbing systems.

The discoveries came as part of the district’s 2024 capital referendum projects, which include classroom additions and renovations at several schools. While the additional repairs have added costs to the projects, officials said the work remains within the overall budget and is not expected to delay the start of the school year.

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The Cranford Board of Education approved additional construction expenses during its June 29 meeting to address the issues found after workers began opening walls, floors, and other areas as part of the renovations.

Business Administrator Bob Carfagno told board members that finding unexpected conditions is common when working in older buildings, but said the district remains in a strong financial position.

“The classroom additions with these additional costs is still a million dollars budget wise, so we’re still good with that,” Carfagno said. “The other additions or renovations are about 1.7 million under budget in total.”

One of the larger discoveries happened at Cranford High School, where crews preparing for a new elevator installation found that part of the existing flooring structure had deteriorated.

Carfagno said addressing the issue during the current project made more sense than completing the elevator work and returning later to repair the damaged area.

“The floor was rotten in front of the elevator,” Carfagno said. “You’re putting in a brand new elevator, but once they start working on it, you find there are flooring problems that need to be addressed.”

Workers also discovered older plumbing infrastructure while opening walls in one of the district’s buildings.

Carfagno said crews found multiple valves and pipes that had been installed decades ago but were not fully documented in current building plans.

“When they opened up the wall, they found a number of valves and different pieces of plumbing that had been there since the building was constructed in 1950,” Carfagno said.

The district also approved additional work related to environmental cleanup, which accounted for a significant portion of the added expenses.

Carfagno said about $787,000 in additional work was primarily related to environmental remediation, including the removal and handling of older building materials that require specialized procedures.

“Those costs are primarily for abatement work,” Carfagno said.

He said completing the work through contractors already involved with the projects helps prevent delays that could affect the construction schedule.

“I’m not looking to spend money unnecessarily,” Carfagno said. “But if you stop the job and wait to go through another process, you’re setting the project back.”

Carfagno said the additional work was reviewed by the district’s professionals, including its architect, environmental consultant, and construction management team.

Despite the unexpected issues, officials said the kindergarten additions at four district schools remain scheduled to be completed before students return in September.

“We will be open in September,” Carfagno said. “There’s work to be done, but they’re moving and they are on schedule to be done for September.”

Some renovations at schools including Orange Avenue and Hillside Avenue are expected to continue into the fall, with completion timelines extending into October or potentially later. Officials said those timelines were included in the original construction plans.

Superintendent Mark Cantagalo said the district has been documenting the progress of the projects and highlighted the pace of work happening across the buildings.

“The Hillside looked one way one week, and there was massive improvement,” Cantagalo said. “Windows got installed, brick got laid. It was outstanding to see how fast they’re working.”

District officials said updates on the construction projects will continue as crews work through the summer schedule ahead of the new school year.

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