BOE Acts to Replace Gym Floors
Washington Township Board of Education Approves $3.1 Million to Replace Nine District Gym Floors
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP – The Board of Education of the Washington Township Public Schools, in a special public meeting on Wednesday evening, April 3, 2019, unanimously approved $3.1 million for the removal of nine gym floors in the District’s schools. The allocated money will be used to carefully and safely remove the existing floors and replace them this summer. Floors will be replaced at each of the District’s six elementary schools – Bells, Birches, Hurffville, Thomas Jefferson, Wedgwood and Whitman – Bunker Hill Middle School and Washington Township High School.
“Tonight, the Board took the most immediate and necessary action to resolve a nationwide issue in many schools – gym flooring with trace elements of mercury,” BOE President Julie Kozempel said. “The entire board is ready to bid this project and remove those floors this summer.”
Washington Township Superintendent of Schools Joe Bollendorf echoed Kozempel’s statement after Wednesday evening’s meeting.
“I applaud the Board for allowing the District to now expedite construction bids and get these floors removed as quickly and safely as possible to give us the best opportunity to complete the project before the start of the new school year,” Bollendorf said.
On Wednesday, an engineer from Remington & Vernick Inc. explained the full range of safety processes which will be used to install new gym floors. The District will initiate a timeline for the removal process on its website (www.wtps.org) and will use the website to update parents, teachers and administrators on all phases of the project.
“Everyone associated with Washington Township Public Schools can feel gratified tonight that the Board and the executive leadership of the District are acting in the absolute best interest of our District students, faculty and all District personnel,” Bollendorf said.
- WTPS -