The Glen Ridge Board of Education is pleased to announce that it has finalized the purchase of the Central School building, located at the corner of Bloomfield Avenue and High Street. The structure, purchased from the Wells Fargo Bank, will be renovated and become Borough's third lower elementary school, housing grades PreK-2.
The acquisition of Central School comes after nearly four years of research, planning, outreach and negotiations. The $5.1 million purchase price was financed through the sale of bonds, following a successful public referendum in March 2017. If renovations proceed according to plan, the new Central School should be ready for students in September 2019.
Built in 1926, the Central School housed Glen Ridge students until it was sold in 1980. Since that time it has been occupied by a succession of banks, a hospice and medical offices.
"I am delighted that we have finally returned the Central School building to the Glen Ridge Board of Education," said Board president Elisabeth Ginsburg. "The process has been long and sometimes difficult, but the end result-relief of overcrowding in our elementary schools-will be worth it."
Superintendent Dirk Phillips added, "We are looking forward to the day when our students and teachers bring Central School back to life.