Westwood School Board Approves Facilities Upgrades

Westwood Regional Schools are going to continue their facilities upgrades this year, starting with the upper gym locker rooms at the high school.

The Westwood Regional Board of Education voted Thursday to award a $1.17 million contract to Stone Creek, Inc. for the locker room renovation project. The school completed renovations to its lower gym and locker rooms earlier this year.

Business Administrator Keith Rosado said they plan to start the renovations while school is still in session. The area being worked on can be accessed from the outside, so it will be secluded and hopefully not disturb students, he said.

The board also voted to amend the district's Long Range Facilities Plan to add new lights in the high school's Hurley Theater and a facade replacement for portions of the high school's outer wall that are "falling apart" as future projects. The board also voted to submit the facade replacement and a new boiler for Berkeley Elementary School to the state.

Rosado said the cost of the facade project would be covered with funds which the district has been saving in its capital reserve. The project will be timed so as to avoid affecting the school year and will likely begin sometime in the "near future," he said

Another project, the almost-$30,000 courtyard installation, also received approval from the board, but not enthusiastically. Board President Roberta Hanlon said they had not anticipated covering the cost of the project. Board members had "strong feelings" about the project and its cost, noting that it would "not happen again," she said.

"Our main goal is education and what directly affects students," Hanlon said.

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