BLOOMFIELD — As every year, summer was busy for Bloomfield schools preparing for September. Some of the readiness will be adjustments to academics and some is the upkeep and repair of buildings better done with empty classrooms. This manual work is accomplished by the custodial and maintenance staff, and outside vendors, overseen by Jeannie Hanna, the district building and grounds supervisor, who has 55 workers on staff, and Vicky Guo, the business administrator. In a conference call, they explained what was done this summer.
At Bloomfield High School, the roof of the science wing was repaired. According to Guo, this is an ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) roof.
“It’s a membrane roof,” she said, “a soft rubber roof. It was at first hot glued on and lasted for 20 years.”
This portion of roof, she added, was not part of last summer’s roof replacement.
Also, fading parking lot space striping was repainted and, inside the building, four classrooms had their ceiling and vinyl flooring replaced.
At Bloomfield Middle School, there was the installation of eye wash stations in the science rooms.
“These spray water into the eye to clean out pollutants,” Hannah said.
The heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) project started four years ago in multiple schools and was ongoing at the middle school, where the work began last year.
At Berkeley Elementary School, the HVAC project was ongoing and there were ceiling tile replacements in various classrooms. Also, the PSE&G transfer of electrical power from the street to the transformer located in front of the school would be done this week, Guo said.
At Brookdale Elementary School, damaged fencing near the parking lot had to be replaced and the HVAC project was ongoing.
At Carteret Elementary School,there was a building management system upgrade. Guo said this was a software system controlling the heat and that the last two schools to have the HVAC project started are Fairview and Franklin.
“We only do this during the summer,” she said.
At Demarest Elementary School, exterior stairs were cracked and repaired.
“It’s concrete work,” Guo commented.
Exterior lights were upgraded to LEDs. The HVAC and window project is ongoing.
At Franklin and Fairview elementary schools, in addition to the HVAC project, the windows were being replaced. When completed, all schools will have new windows, said Guo.
At the Early Childhood Center at Forest Glen, the replacement to the fencing was completed.
Oak View’s Elementary School’s HVAC project was ongoing and Watsessing Elementary School’s fence repairs were made. A sink was replaced in the gym area here.
At the Sutton Service Center, which is where the school buses park alongside Demarest Elementary, there was pavement work to provide space for two new electrical buses. Bluestone blocks were installed for this, Hannah said. The buses were acquired with funding from a NJ Environment Protection Agency grant, according to Guo.
Foley Field received some attention, too. A new sump pump was installed. The track at the end of the field near Memorial Park is often flooded. Controls to the field house air conditioning for the field were also upgraded. And, of course, there was routine general maintenance for all school buildings.
Photo by Daniel Jackovino
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