Students heading back to Mahwah schools this September will notice new additions before even stepping foot inside. Four of the district’s six schools have gotten new signage as part of their summer spruce-ups.

The new signs at Ramapo Ridge, Joyce Kilmer and the Central Administration building, Betsy Ross and George Washington replace “old ones that were wooden, and in some cases ready to fall down,” Buildings and Grounds Supervisor Scot VanDermark said. “Some of the signs were actually rotting, and really needed to be replaced.”

Signs at the high school and Lenape Meadows are “in good shape,” and didn’t need to be replaced, he said.

The new signs at the three elementary schools are updated versions of the old signs. “We used a new material that should last about 20 years, much longer than the wooden ones,” VanDermark said.

At the Ridge, students will see a new electronic sign, similar to the one at the high school. “Sure, they are more expensive than the traditional signs, but you get what you pay for,” VanDermark said. “There are a lot of advantages to the electronic signs, just because you can change the messages on them. For example, parents are busy, so it’s really helpful to them to be able to read about what is happening at their kids’ school that day while they are dropping the kids off.”

The new signs are part of summertime buildings and grounds improvements at every school. “Every year, we start planning September 1 what improvements we will make the following summer,” VanDermark said. “We have three-year and five-year plans, so every summer there are a lot of improvements going on to make sure everything is as safe as possible for the new school year.”

In addition to the new looks, students and parents can expect the following facilities improvements:

• A new roof in the old section of the building and the installation of new doors at Betsy Ross. The improvements are part of a two-year upgrade plan. Last year, the district installed new windows up and down the hallways of BR. “That helped tremendously with heating and cooling of the building,” District Business Administrator Ed Deptula said at a Board of Education meeting earlier this year.
• LED lighting installed in the high school auditorium and art room
• Upgrades to the kitchen at the high school
• Additions to the architectural webbed roofing at the entrance to the high school. VanDermark said the addition will help with snow removal at that section of the building.
• Upgrades to the locker rooms at the high school and Ramapo Ridge
• Painting at all schools
• Replacing old flooring with new vinyl floors in certain rooms at all buildings

Stick with Patch as the new school year gets closer for a school-by-school review of what new facilities changes students can expect to see this September.

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