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Haddonfield School Construction Update: Tatem Addition Starts, a New Hopkins Gym Is Under Contract, and HMHS Windows Run Into December

The biggest piece of the school referendum is about to break ground. Here is what is done, what is late and when the rest should finish.

By Live Haddonfield ยท

The largest piece of Haddonfield's $46.7 million school referendum, approved by voters in December 2024, is about to get going. On Sept. 24 the Board of Education awarded D'Andrea Construction a $13.67 million contract to build the J.F. Tatem Elementary addition and a new high school gymnasium on the Hopkins parcel. Meanwhile window replacement at Haddonfield Memorial High School now runs into December, and the HMHS auditorium is aiming to wrap at the end of November.

If you have a kid in the district, these dates matter. The Tatem addition is tied directly to when full day kindergarten can start.

Tatem and the Hopkins gym: the big contract

The contract covers a base bid of $13.61 million plus $57,000 in alternates, The Retrospect reported. District officials said bidding the two projects together saved about $500,000.

When will it be done? In the district's answers to public comments from the Oct. 15 board meeting, it said contractors would not break ground at Tatem until November 2026, with substantial completion in December 2027. An August estimate put Tatem at Dec. 23, 2027, and the new gym, with its site work and parking lot, at March 3, 2028.

The district also said the Tatem redesign put that project behind, and that space, not money, is the main reason universal full day kindergarten is delayed. We covered where that stands in our kindergarten and extended day update.

At the high school

  • Windows. Crews started replacing HMHS windows after a delayed start. The work was first expected to be substantially done by the end of October and is now expected to run into December. The district said it is scheduling the work around the school day.
  • Auditorium. Finish and electrical work were largely complete as of the late September update, with HVAC and plumbing still underway. New seats were due in mid November, with installation and substantial completion targeted for the end of November.

The rest of the list

  • Elizabeth Haddon addition: crews poured the second floor slab on Aug. 19, and the addition was about 25% complete as of the fall update.
  • Central Elementary: the 1890s building project was about 99% complete and already in use, and the new nurse's suite was substantially complete pending paperwork, per The Retrospect's Oct. 1 report.
  • Hopkins turf field: in use with parking open. It is not a referendum project. Safety netting was back ordered and the district was still waiting on PSE&G for permanent electric service for the field lights.

The Oct. 29 board agenda also carried small change orders: a $19,610.59 credit on the Central nurse's suite (contract now $693,389.41), $2,748 added to the Central 1890s building ($1,341,581), and $7,420 added to the Central and Elizabeth Haddon roofs ($241,370).

Where to follow it

The board hears construction updates from LAN Associates and Colliers Engineering & Design at its regular meetings. The next one is Thursday, Nov. 12, at 7 p.m. in the HMHS library. See this week's public meetings for how to watch.

Sources

When the board updates these dates, the Friday newsletter tells you what changed in two lines, not two hours of meeting video. Subscribe here.

FAQ

When will the Tatem addition be finished?
The district has said substantial completion is targeted for December 2027, with an earlier estimate of Dec. 23, 2027.
Who is building the Tatem addition and Hopkins gym?
D'Andrea Construction, under a $13.67 million contract the Board of Education awarded on Sept. 24, 2026.
When will the new HMHS gym be done?
Substantial completion was estimated at March 3, 2028, including site work and parking.