Politics & Government

West Deptford School Board OKs New Visitors' Stands

The school board finalized the second of two major capital projects for the 2011-2012 budget year.

The rusted, pitted and otherwise decrepit visitors' stands at the West Deptford High School football stadium are on the verge of being replaced, after the school board approved a bid for the project Monday night.

More than just a new set of stands, the bid includes a new foundation–a single, large concrete pad instead of a handful of concrete footings.

“If you remember the photographs, they had little, tiny pads, and the bleachers were falling off the pads,” Superintendent Kevin Kitchenman said.

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The low bidder was Landsite Construction of Roselle Park, NJ, which bid $164,750 for the new stands, the full concrete foundation and removal of the old set. That was about $25,000 more than what the district originally budgeted for replacement, but the difference will be made up from a lower-than-expected bid on the tennis courts' replacement, which saved about $56,000 at the time of that bid.

The board put the project back in this year's budget after it was cut previously, due to slashed state funding, and cited safety and security concerns as the major reason for replacing the stands. Back in March, during a budget workshop, Kitchenman said the stands were at the breaking point, and that the district had gotten complaint letters about their condition.

Find out what's happening in West Deptfordwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

With the approval, the school board finalized approval on both the major capital projects in this year's budget, though Kitchenman said a laundry list of improvements at the district's five schools will be considered in future budget years, as needs warrant.

A schedule for demolition and construction of the new bleachers hasn't been established yet, Kitchenman said, but that should be forthcoming.


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