Frankford Township board flags urgent sewer hookup for A-wing; estimates $1M–$1.5M needed

The Frankford Township Consolidated School District board spent a substantial portion of its meeting discussing a sewer hookup project to replace the aging septic system that serves the A wing.

"We estimate right now that we're looking at $1,000,000 to $1,500,000," the Chair said, adding that the district does not have that money and would seek state or federal funding. The Chair told the board the septic serving the A wing is roughly 56 to 67 years old and could fail suddenly, creating an urgent need to pursue permanent sewer connections.

The board invited engineering staff and municipal leaders to a planning meeting on Oct. 7, the Chair said, naming Mayor Silverthorne and Mayor Fredo as participants. The board plans to develop design drawings, present to the planning board and coordinate with the county and the Department of Health as part of the permitting process.

S3, who provided facilities context, said earlier sewer-allocation estimates reflected a higher historical enrollment and noted water-saving fixtures (waterless urinals) had reduced usage since those older calculations. Board members said the district expects to recalculate allocation needs when preparing permit applications.

No formal funding source was identified during the meeting; board members described outreach to municipal and higher-level officials and said they would pursue grant or state and federal aid. The Chair said the building and grounds committee will continue work with the mayors' offices and other stakeholders to move the project forward.

Next steps the board recorded were the Oct. 7 meeting with municipal leaders and engineers and continuing committee-level work to produce designs and seek funding.