These two Bergen towns will hold special elections on school repairs costing over $20M – NorthJersey.com

Cresskill parents protest to open schools closed from flooding

Cresskill parents protest to open schools closed from flooding

Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com

Cresskill and Franklin Lakes will hold special elections on Jan. 25 asking the public to vote on millions of dollars of improvements to their schools.

In Cresskill, 1,000 middle and high school students haven't returned to their school, many since March 2020, when schools statewide closed at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The remnants of Hurricane Ida wreaked havoc on the building, which sits in a flood zone on Lincoln Drive.Several feet of water rose above the auditorium stage, destroying it andthe gymnasium, the media center, desks and chairs.

Students have returned to in-person learning at least once a week on a rotating basisatSt. Thrse of Lisieux Church school in Cresskill. Two grades attend in person once every four days on a rotating schedule.

Residents will be asked to approve $21.66 million for the repairs on Jan. 25.

The district has met with the Federal Emergency Management Agency several times to process grant reimbursement applications for restoration, transportation and relocation. Any grant approvals will cover 75% of the cost, and the rest will be the responsibility of the district.

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All four boilers, univents and water pumps need to be repaired or replaced. The boilers, which will cost $5 million to $6million to repair, carry the biggest price tag.

The univents in all 52 rooms were damaged by saltwater that originated at the DPW salt garage and need to be replaced.

Parents will hold a referendum rally on Saturday to raise awareness. The rally will take place at Merritt Memorial School at 10 a.m.

The school district will also hold a virtual community forum on Tuesday at 6 p.m. The session will feature district representatives and professionals who will share information and answer residents' questions. A livestream link can be found atRestoreCresskillSchools.com.

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Franklin Lakes

The local Board of Education is asking residents to approve $20.9 million in repairs in four schools.

The school board said there would be no changein taxes resulting from the spending because of another debt that will befully paid off in 2022 and theuse of capital reserve funds.

A facility assessment report in 2020 uncovered building issues and deferred maintenance items at the district's schools.

A prioritized list of urgent projects included HVAC system upgrades, boiler replacements, window replacements androof replacements.

The two towns are the only ones in Bergen County that are holding special elections. There are none in Passaic County. Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Jan. 25.

Kristie Cattafiis a local reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community,please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email:cattafi@northjersey.com

Twitter:@KristieCattafi

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These two Bergen towns will hold special elections on school repairs costing over $20M - NorthJersey.com