Somerville board details referendum construction timeline, plans April 2025 start

The Somerville Board of Education this week received detailed timeline and planning updates on a proposed referendum that would fund major renovations and new construction across three district sites.

During the communications committee report, chair Denise Van Horn said the district is in a comprehensive planning phase that included site visits to other districts and preparation of regulatory submissions to the New Jersey Department of Education for state aid review. "Bid documents are expected for an April 2025 construction start," Van Horn said, and the committee plans to post renderings and timeline updates on the district website as they become available.

The projects described include a new gymnasium attached to Somerville High School, an auditorium renovation, a full renovation of high-school science labs, a middle-school vestibule safety upgrade and multiple improvements at Vanderveer Elementary (multipurpose field, vestibule addition, multipurpose room renovation and replacement storage). Van Horn said alternates for audiovisual enhancements are being prepared "if the budget allows it."

Finance Committee Chair Brian Carlson said the committee is preparing to issue an RFP to hire a construction management firm that would oversee the projects and reported that the committee has been discussing preliminary start and end dates as part of capital planning. Carlson also said the committee will continue to update the public with renderings and schedule adjustments.

Both chairs emphasized the limits imposed by state aid review. Van Horn told the board that state approval "also limits the flexibility for major changes in the plans" once submissions are made, and that careful sequencing will be necessary.

The board discussed the need for community engagement during long-term work. Van Horn described plans for public presentations, rendered images, student involvement in celebratory events, and alumni participation at the auditorium reopening. "We want to include the students' involvement in the celebrations and the communications as we go along," she said.

Budget and schedule milestones cited in committee reports include posting renderings on the district website, issuing bid documents in advance of April 2025 work, and staging some renovations (science labs and auditorium) to limit classroom disruption. The communications committee noted that the gymnasium construction will have the longest timeline and carries the greatest potential impact on debt-service estimates.

Next steps spelled out to the board include finalizing bid documents, selecting a construction manager via RFP in December, continuing outreach to the New Jersey Department of Education for state aid, and ongoing public updates through the district website and committee meetings.

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