Ringwood Public Schools Facilities Blog

Hello Everyone,

The Ringwood Board of Education is moving ahead with projects for maintaining our school facilities.  We are waiting with baited breath for the Hewitt Referendum work to begin in the spring of 2012.  Our selected architectural firm, Di Cara & Rubino, is currently busy working on the engineering drawings for the Hewitt work and we should be going out for bids on construction for Hewitt in late winter. The $11,195,000 in bonds for the Hewitt Referendum are being sold next month in September so that we can start paying our architect and other bills.

We are also looking to bring a Construction Manager on board beginning in October, 2011.  The construction manager will work for the Ringwood board and will oversee all construction and refurbishments for the referendum.  He will ensure that all work is done according to specification and state and local code.  He will also intervene on the board’s part when there is a discrepancy or disagreement between the architect and the contractor or a sub-contractor.  The construction manager is always looking out for the district and reports to the board and the business administrator.

At the last board meeting on August 15^th, 2011, the board of education approved the installation of solar panels by the Passaic County Improvement Authority (PCIA).  The solar panels are being installed at no cost to the district and the PCIA’s contractor will perform the installation in the fall of 2011 or in 2012.  The Ringwood Board of Education will receive approximately $20,000 to $25,000 per year in savings for 15 years by having the solar panels installed.  At the end of the 15 year contract, the board may be able to keep the panels generating electricity for little or no additional cost for an additional 10 to 15 years.  The initial installation will be at the Ryerson School and the board is looking to have solar panels on the Hewitt roof once the Hewitt construction is completed in the fall of 2012.

The board is also considering an Energy Savings Improvement Plan (ESIP) for all 4 schools in Ringwood. An ESIP allows a board of education to bond for energy improvements without voter approval.  The calculations for the ESIP must prove that the energy savings will cover the cost of the upgrades before an ESIP is approved.  Lighting and boilers are popular items for ESIPs since lighting can typically pay for itself in 3 years and boilers can pay for themselves in 6 or 7 years.  An ESIP is a much needed means of getting necessary repairs done without any cost to taxpayers.

More information on the Hewitt Referendum, PCIA, and the ESIP will follow in the coming months.