School District Purchases New Indoor Bleachers for High School

The Board of Education made a motion to enter into a shared service agreement with Sterling High School and purchase new indoor bleachers for in the amount of $267,981 during Monday’s school board meeting.

“We identified several problems with the (old) bleachers,” Board President Jack Martenak said. “They’re not retracting properly and guardrails are falling off.”

The issues with the bleachers especially surfaced during this school year as the gym was packed to capacity for boy’s varsity basketball games and the elementary school’s Parent Teacher Association volleyball game, he said.

The shared service agreement was a part of a co-op purchasing initiative, Martenak said. The money for the bleachers came from a fund that was set aside for capital requests.

Business Administrator James Savage explained that the agreement is similar to the Educational Services Commissions, who bids services and school districts have the ability to utilize the same bid.

“Sterling went out to bid for bleachers and we are able to contract with them for the same service/equipment,” Savage said in an email. “As for savings, I don't know exactly how much, but I saved on not having to write bid specs, have drawings developed, advertisement costs.”

The bleachers in the high school are the originals that were installed in 1981, Savage said. With metal seats and wood flooring, the electric no longer works and they have to be pulled out manually. Parts have also become difficult to obtain.

The new bleachers, which will be installed over the summer, will have hard plastic seats and will be pulled out electrically, he said.

Whether the school district will utilize the shared service agreement in the future is unknown, Savage said.

"At this time I don't know what else I will use them for," he said. "When I have a need I will check with them as I do with Middlesex and Monmouth Educucational Services Commission."

Superintendent Dr. Sandra Brower did not return calls for comment.