PHOTO BY ERIN ROLL/STAFF
By ERIN ROLL
roll@montclairlocal.news
Montclair’s elementary school playgrounds are in need of repairs or replacement, according to a capital projects list by architects from the firm of Parette Somjen.
The capital projects list recommends replacing the playground equipment or resurfacing the play area at six of the seven elementary schools, at a cost that could run well into the five figures for each school.
Bradford is listed at $87,400 to upgrade its playground and bring in new equipment, of which $77,000 would be in the actual cost of bringing in the new equipment and constructing it.
At Edgemont, the replacement would run to $73,000, including $63,800 in actual construction costs.
At Nishuane, it is expected to cost $93,400, including $82,500 in actual construction costs. The project list also calls for replacing the pavers in the play area, a project that is expected to cost $69,500.
Charles H. Bullock School, as the newest of the district’s 11 schools, had a shorter list of recommended repairs compared to the other schools. However, the project list recommends re-shading the play area, a project that would have a total cost of $110,500.
Northeast is also listed to have its play area resurfaced, with an expected cost of $95,000.
At Watchung, it is expected to cost $94,700 to replace the playground equipment, including $83,200 in construction costs.
The remaining costs for each project, aside from construction, are for legal fees, permits and miscellaneous costs.
Hillside was the only one of the seven elementary schools that did not have any repairs listed for its playground or play areas. None of the middle schools had any repairs listed for outdoor recreation areas, nor did Montclair High School.
The entire list of capital projects presented to the board in November totals at $16 million.
In addition to the main list of projects, the architects presented a list of “priority projects” that were recommended to be done as soon as possible for health and safety reasons. Those projects, in addition to upgrading Montclair High School’s playing fields and replacing the HVAC system in Watchung’s annex, include replacing the lockdown hardware on the doors and installing new water fountains in several of the schools.
Superintendent Kendra Johnson and Business Administrator Emidio D’Andrea did not return a request for comment Tuesday.