Riverside school district proposes $16.8M improvement project
RIVERSIDE – The school district here is seeking voter approval for $16.8 million in improvements, including the construction of 10 classrooms at Riverside Elementary School.
Among other upgrades, the project also calls for more than 80,000 square feet of new roofing at the elementary school, Riverside Middle School and Riverside High School.
Separately, the district also wants voters' approval to install energy-efficient windows at its Pop Vernon Field House.
Residents on Jan. 24 are to vote on two bond questions: a $15.8-million proposal for the schools; and a $975,000 plan for the field house.
After state aid is factored in, the district would need to borrow $8.7 million for the schools and about $291,000 for the field house.
The district says the cost of the $8.7 million bond would not increase local property taxes.
That's because the district next year will pay off two existing bonds, offsetting the new borrowing's expense of $259.07 per year for an average home.
The field house bond would boost annual property taxes by $12.04 for an average home.
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Riverside Elementary must expand because its enrollment has climbed by 13 percent, or 181 youngsters, over the past two years, according to the district’s website.
It says classroom space has become “increasingly scarce,” with some staff members having to share spaces or work in the cafeteria and auditorium.
A planned two-story addition for the classrooms would displace the school’s current playground, requiring the construction of a new play area with a shock-absorbent and maintenance-free poured surface.
The project also would allow the district to put all of its roofing under warranty, avoiding unplanned costs from leaks or water damage, the district says.
In addition, upgrades to the staff parking lot — including the installation of a stormwater pump – would address occasional flooding that damaged walls and floors in classrooms.
“These upgrades should eliminate most, if not all, of those problems,” the website says.
New windows at the field house “will provide more insulation from the elements, improve the protection from sun glare, and allow for better ventilation,” the website says.
The elementary school's expansion makes up the bulk of the proposal, with a cost of about $6 million for the classrooms and $400,000 for the new playground.
Roofing costs are estimated at about $3.2 million.
Jim Walsh is a senior reporter with the Courier-Post, Burlington County Times and The Daily Journal.
This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Ballot measure: Riverside seeks OK for school upgrades, new projects
