New School Security System to be Ready This Month

Peter Daquila, the business administrator for the said the district's new security camera and card access systems will be operational by the end of October.

"The contractor has completed all the required wiring for the card access and the camera systems," Daquila said. "Card readers have been installed on all the doors, and the system to allow the access is currently being programmed."

Under the new system, staff members will be able to swipe identification cards to gain access the schools. Also, about 200 security cameras operating on a centralized system will be added to the district's six campuses.

The project "was the big capital expense in this year's budget," Dr. Michael LaSusa said. It was approved by the public as part of the 2012-13 school budget.

Original estimates for the project were about $370,000: $270,000 for additional security cameras at the district schools and $100,000 for magnetic identification card access at all schools.

In July, the Board of Education approved an additional $200,000 for the project, because 16 existing cameras were "so old they're not going to be able to connect to the new system," then-Assistant Superintendent Dr. Michael LaSusa said.

Also two of the schools, Milton Avenue School and Southern Boulevard School, are so old that "the wiring in [some of the entrances] is going to cost more to replace," LaSusa said.

New Boilers at Lafayette

Three new boilers at Lafayette Avenue School have been installed in time for the colder weather and without disrupting classroom instruction, Daquila said.

, said the contractor, C.J. Vanderbeck of Paterson, is now "in process of finishing up the punch-list items."

Once the three new boilers are ready for use, C.J. Vanderbeck will train staff to use the boilers.

Three boilers are , because the school can alternate their use and minimize wear on each.

C.J. Vanderbeck won the contract in May with their bid of $244,100.

"All of this work is not interfering with school at all," Daquila said.