Middle School Gym Opens With New Wood Floor

Staff, parents and students seemed to agree that the best thing that came out of the school's recent mold situation was the replacement of that carpet

Sneakers were squeaking in the Manchester Township Middle School gym for the first time ever as the Mustangs basketball team played their first game Jan. 8 on a new wood floor. Up until this year, the school gym was an oddity with its carpeted floor. Staff, parents and students seemed to agree that the best thing that came out of the school's recent mold situation was the replacement of that carpet with a beautiful new wood floor, school officials said. Team members were thrilled with the shiny new floor, complete with a blue-and-gold Mustangs logo in center court.  "It's not embarrassing to play a home game anymore," several said, almost in unison.  Principal Nancy Driber, Vice Principal Steve Ninivaggi, Director of Curriculum and former …

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The Weekly Poll

POLL: Has The Middle School Mold Situation Been Adequately Addressed?

Our Friday poll

Please let us know in the poll and/or in the comments.

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Restored Middle School Opens to Parents Thursday

School re-opened this week after being closed for months while mold was removed

Parents are invited to an open house at the recently re-opened Manchester Township Middle School to see the restoration work that has been completed since the building was closed when mold was discovered this past summer.  The 2759 Ridgeway Rd. school, which Superintendent of Schools David Trethaway said is "safe and is in excellent condition," will be open to visitors between 5 and 8 p.m. Thursday, according to the district.  "There will not be a formal program, however, administrators, staff, and students will be available to answer questions and provide tours of the school," reads a statement on the school district website. Middle school students had been sharing Manchester Township High School on a split schedule which ended this …

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Manchester Middle School Re-Opening After Mold Cleanup

Sixth-graders tour the refurbished school

Middle school students will be back in their permanent building Monday, as the Manchester Middle School will re-open. Sixth-graders were bused from their temporary home at the high school on Wednesday for an orientation. Principal Nancy Driber talked about the opening and reminded the kids that starting Monday, school starts at 7:39 a.m.  "so there is no more sleeping late." Guidance counselor Kristen Sutherland showed them how to open lockers. Middle school students have been on a split session schedule at the high school since the discovery of mold at the middle school in August forced a remediation effort. 

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Hurricane Sandy

Power Slowly Returning; Schools May Open Monday

About 40 percent of customers in Manchester have no electricity

With power slowly returning to Manchester — including most township schools — it is possible that students may be back in class next week. JCP&L reports that electricity was restored to about 8,500 of its Manchester customers on Thursday, leaving about 7,500 in the dark. All schools in Manchester except for Ridgeway Elementary School now have power, according to Superintendent of Schools David Trethaway. "We're trying to shoot for Monday (to reopen)," Trethaway said. Except for some fallen trees, school buildings within the township appear to be in good condition inside and out, the superintendent said. If things go according to plan, staff will work to ready the buildings over the weekend and school officials will announce the reopening. …

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Hardwood Flooring Approved for Middle School Gym

Board members approved the flooring at its October regular meeting

A hardwood floor will replace the carpeting damaged by mold in Manchester Township Middle School's gym. Board of education members on Wednesday night voted in favor of replacing the school's iconic gym carpeting with wood. The $154,700 contract was awarded to Classic Sport Floors of West Berlin, the lowest bidder by $9,750.  Since installing hardwood flooring costs more than replacing the carpeting, it is likely that insurance will not cover the entire project and the district will pay the difference, said district Business Administrator Craig Lorentzen. "It's likely we'll get the replacement value for the carpet floor," Lorentzen said, adding that it was not clear what the price for carpet replacement would be.  The gym is one of many …

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Middle School Could Reopen in Late November

Repairs have been ongoing at the school since mold was discovered in August

Months after mold was discovered in the building, administrators are targeting a late-November date for Manchester Township Middle School to reopen.  "I know that parents, students and staff are all wondering about the return to the building, and I received a comment in that regard," Superintendent of Schools David Trethaway writes in a recent blog post on the district's website. "I hesitated to give a date since there were so many variables such as delivery of supplies and availability of cabinetry. However now I believe it is safe to say that we should be preparing to open the Middle School sometime near the end of November." Trethaway said that he recently walked through parts of the school, which has been closed for repair since mold …

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First Floor Rebuilding Under Way at Middle School

Mold restoration efforts have been ongoing at the school since August

Rebuilding efforts at Manchester Township Middle School are under way, as nearly the entirety of the lower level has been cleaned, according to school district administration. About 80 percent of the mold clean-up process has been completed on the school's first floor, Superintendent of Schools David Trethaway said in a recent statement on the district's website. "Rebuilding is now under way in the newer part of the first floor," Trethaway said. "The floor has been leveled and repaired and the floor tile is being installed in the classrooms." Mold was found in the building's downstairs in August and MTMS students have been attending Manchester Township High School in a split session schedule since the new school year started. …

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Soccer Association to Add Practice Lighting at Complex

Lights are needed as players cannot practice indoors at Manchester's middle school

New pole lighting at the Lakehurst/Manchester Soccer Association complex is expected to be installed soon to give displaced athletes a place to practice even at dark while mold clean up at Manchester Township Middle School is completed. April Chmiel, registrar for the soccer association, came before the township's Planning Board Monday night so members could give the proposal, which is for work on township land, a courtesy review. The lights are planned for the South Colonial Drive complex's third field by Alexander Avenue and are necessary since players cannot hold evening practices at their usual location of MTMS.  "Because with the mold at the middle school, we no longer have indoor room to practice and our season doesn't end until …

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Several Areas of Middle School Cleared as Mold Cleanup Continues

Superintendent offers update on mold cleanup at middle school

Restoration efforts at Manchester Township Middle School continue as specialists are clearing areas of the mold-stricken building and preparing for reconstruction. Three-quarters of the school's second floor have been tested by the restoration company and have been cleared, Superintendent of Schools David Trethaway said in a statement on the district's website.  "Although there was very little removal work to be done on the second floor, it still needed to be thoroughly cleaned and now that is almost all completed," Trethaway said.  After the discovery of mold in the building's downstairs, MTMS students have been attending Manchester Township High School in a split session schedule. Administrators have said that restoration may be …

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