Projects Move Forward at Township High Schools

Work on three long sought-after projects at schools in town will commence after the school year ends.

The Board of Education has set aside funding in its capital budget to rebuild the track at Brick Memorial High School, replace the bleachers at Brick Township High School's football field, as well as modernize and redesign the science labs at Brick Township High School.

Board of Education member Walter Campbell has been spearheading the projects, which he says in some cases are long overdue.

"This isn't just a stop-gap," he said of the track improvements at BMHS.

Campbell has said at board meetings that the track was in such bad shape it was dangerous for runners to compete on it. The track will be resurfaced, and curbing with built-in drains will be constructed so water drains off the surface and doesn't pose a safety risk to athletes.

The project is set to begin after the current school year ends. The board has set aside $750,000 for the work to be completed.

At Brick Township High School, work on the bleachers at the football field will also begin after the school year ends – a date later than the board had originally been hoping for.

The bleachers are in bad shape, school officials have said, and portions are off limits to spectators due to safety concerns. At large events, such as rivalry football games and graduation ceremonies, extra bleachers are sometimes brought in to accommodate extra people.

School board members had hoped the project could be completed before this year's graduation ceremony, but some delays were experienced in ensuring the new bleachers would be compliant with the American With Disabilities Act, Campbell said. There was also the risk that the project wouldn't be completed by graduation time, meaning Old Brick's graduates would be forced to head to Mustang turf for their ceremony.

The board has set aside $860,000 for the bleacher project.

One of the most ambitious projects in the works, Campbell said, is the creation of new science labs for Brick Township High School.

Three first-floor science classrooms will be renovated, then two small rooms will be expanded.

"Then, they're going to redo two rooms on the east end of the school and make it into a biotech lab," said Campbell, himself a former science teacher.

The new labs will include interactive smart boards and modern equipment.

Most of the work will be completed over the summer, Campbell said, but two rooms will still be closed when the 2012-13 school year begins. Those classes will be shifted temporarily to the school library.

The board has allocated $2.4 million for the renovation plan.