NJ Education Report

The Press of Atlantic City has an expose on a construction project at Egg Harbor High School in Atlantic County, which one contractor has called “the project from hell.” The original referendum was approved for $12.9 million with the State picking up the rest of the cost, estimated in 2005 as a total of $30 million. Current projections put it at $53.2 million. The project is being “managed” by the Schools Development Authority.

Here’s Sam Girlya, CEO of Sambe Construction Co., the contractor for the second phase of the project:

This project was designed very poorly. There are a lot of mistakes. It was a fast design. Nobody reviewed the design, and as a result, there are many mistakes, and that’s why there are so many changes and requests for information. We’re going to lose an enormous amount of money, and so are the subcontractors.

The SDA says it’s the district’s fault for underestimating the total cost of the project. Meanwhile, Egg Harbor’s high school kids have spend years jammed into a portion of the building and barred from entering the cafeteria and the theater. The library is open, but only to 50 kids at a time.