Ribbon Cutting For Revamped Avenel Street School

WOODBRIDGE, NJ — Woodbridge held a ribbon cutting Friday for the revamped Avenel Street School #4.

In the past year, Avenel Street School — the oldest elementary school in Woodbridge — got a redesign that including the addition of 10 new classrooms, a bigger gymnasium and cafeteria and a new multi-use media center.

The school also received a new interior courtyard.

Work is still ongoing. Renovations are still being done at School #5 and will be done in coming months, said the Township.

As Patch previously reported, the Woodbridge school district originally planned to build an entirely new Avenel Elementary school, and it would have been located on Rahway Avenue. Construction even started in 2022.

But costs skyrocketed by more than $15 million due to inflation and the cost of raw materials.

So, instead of building an entirely new school, the school district decided to instead do "significant renovations" at the existing School 4/5 on Avenel Street.

Woodbridge Township called it a "refresh." Improvements also included HVAC upgrades, LED and advanced security, fires alarms and an improved PA system.

Avenel School #4 was built in 1912 and School #5 was later added in 1948.

The work at the two adjacent schools is part of a $24.8-million project that was approved by voters in a 2023 referendum. Woodbridge residents were asked in a public referendum if they approved the school district making significant renovations to the school, and a majority of Woodbridge voters said "yes." (Although vote turnout was very low for the special election held last March; only four percent of Woodbridge's 68,000 registered voters voted.)

About 40 percent of the renovations will be funded by state aid. Learn more from the district here: https://www.woodbridge.k12.nj....

Due To Inflation Costs, Woodbridge Not Building New Avenel Elementary (Sept. 2022)

Avenel Elementary/School 4/5 Renovations Approved By Woodbridge Voters (March 2023)