The township board of education has rejected three proposals for elevators at Cherry Hill East and West because the cost of the project “substantially exceeds” the district’s budget.
The board put out to bid last summer two projects that included modernization work at both West and East, along with a new elevator at West. The budget for the projects was set at $845,000, with the lowest of the three bids coming in at $2,560,000 from TN Ward, a company that has accepted bid work from the district before. The highest bid, from Capri Construction, was $2,986,000.
The projects would enable elevators to lead to weight rooms in both schools. But Jason Schimpf, assistant superintendent, business administrator and board secretary, said the district wants creative solutions that would also fit its budget.
“We’re currently working with our architect and design team on some alternative options,” he explained. “More specifically, to the additional elevator at West, and ensuring we have full accessibility to the lower level at West … Unfortunately we’ve had some rough numbers on elevator work, but we are working on some creative solutions there.”
The lower level at West where the weight room sits is also under construction; a new elevator is necessary for students to get there. Schimpf clarified after the meeting that the board’s “creative solutions” may include more than a new elevator, though he didn’t elaborate.
“Looking at an alternative to a brand new, two-story elevator construction at West,” Schimpf noted. “That’s the part that’s significantly over budget. So we’re looking at other ways to make those spaces accessible without building this new elevator structure.”
Schimpf said the bid rejection shouldn’t impact the start time of the project, which has an indeterminate end date.
“Right now, we’re working on a solution that will keep us on pace to do something beginning in the summer,” he said, “but to be determined.”
Schimpf also discussed renovations happening at two of the township middle schools, John A. Carusi and Rosa International. At the latter, work has been completed on a new main office that awaits only furniture. The district put a receptionist in the area. Work on a new cafeteria also continues and lettering on the outside of the building will be finished sometime in the next few weeks.
Schimpf said the district is on track to complete the work at Rosa by August, with more interior work to continue in June. There is about $188,000 remaining out of an original allowance of $287,000.
Carusi is in the second phase of four projects, with phase three to begin this summer. The district has made progress on completing classrooms and a book room, with $144,000 of an allowance left out of an original $400,000.
The bid for the auditoriums at both high schools was accepted in November and is $13,740,000. East auditorium work will start in April and finish by December, while the West auditorium work is set to start in April 2027 and finish eight months later.
