District Promises Funds Set Aside For Middletown North Turf Project

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — At the most recent Middletown school board meeting, held July 26, district business administrator Amy Gallagher reaffirmed to the public that the school district does indeed still plan to replace the track and turf at High School North.

"(Acting Middletown superintendent) Mrs. Afone put out a letter to the High School North community, updating them on that project and the fact that we will be deferring the work out of this summer time frame," she said.

"As Mrs. Alfone's letter stated, the funds are still set aside for the project. The project is going to move forward. We just have to decide what course of action we're going to take to get to it," she said.

Middletown planned to replace the track/turf at High School North this summer, and have it done in time for the fall 2023 sports season.

But the project hit a huge setback when the school district was sued over it:

A contractor called LandTek sued the school district in March, alleging that the Middletown Board of Education improperly awarded the job to replace the track/turf to another contractor, Applied Landscape Technologies, Inc. Applied submitted the lowest bid for the job ($1.9 million), but LandTek argues Applied failed to specify which artificial turf and other materials they intend to use.

In late June, Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Richard English ruled in LandTek's favor, and the school district now has to start the process all over again to get the turf replaced.

The job to replace the turf costs anywhere from $1.9 to $2.2 million.

After the judge ruled to take the contract away from Applied, Applied then countersued and appealed his decision to a higher court, the Asbury Park Press reported in July. So Applied is still trying to retain the track/turf contract it was awarded by the Middletown school board.

The issue is still being resolved in the courts.

The legal battle means High School North will not get new turf until next summer, 2024.

Watch the most recent Middletown BOE meeting here, held July 26.

Middletown School District Sued Over North Turf Field Replacement (July 12)