SCHOOL BOARD ROOM REPAIRS NEAR $300,000, NEARLY HALF FOR ASBESTOS REMOVAL

The ceiling collapse at the Board of Education office that has forced the school board to meet elsewhere since September has cost nearly $300,000 so far, according to invoices issued to the district.

And nearly half of that is for asbestos removal, to the tune of $137,000. See those invoices HERE.

There is also another $2,765 to have ceilings in all district buildings checked by inspectors.

You may recall the ceiling in the basement IT area below the board meeting room collapsed in September and forced the meeting room closed off for safety reasons. Since then, the board has met at Columbia High School and South Orange Middle School.

District Business Administrator Paul Roth provided the invoices from several firms hired for the work, which indicate $281,409.53 has been billed thus far. He said more will be needed for the meeting room itself, but had no estimated amount.

He said the ceiling work will be done by late December, with the meeting room repairs to begin in January. District sources recently revealed that the work is not likely to be done until March.

When asked why the repairs, initially expected to be done by the end of 2016, were delayed, District Spokeswoman Suzanne Turner said via email:

There have not been delays, the work just takes time. We want to ensure we follow all proper protocols and take the time needed to do the work correctly