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EXCEL Project UpdatePosted on June 28, 2010 Renovations to the elementary/intermediate school are nearly complete. Electrical, mechanical, heating and air handling upgrades have been completed in our classrooms, and work is now continuing in the central administration wing of the building. The superintendent’s office, the business office, the personnel office and the pupil personnel office are now located in the corridor directly above. Visitors to these offices may park in the parking lot in front of the building and enter through the door at the end of the intermediate classroom wing. Parents wishing to visit the elementary and intermediate school from the back parking lot should now enter door #16, the one at the “glass staircase.” We thank the community for its patience during this time of renovation. This summer, much of the work will be concentrated in the high school. A new boiler, a new generator, new windows, new exterior doors, new bleachers and a new partition in the gym are among the improvements. These renovations are part of the capital project approved by the voters in February 2008. At that time the community approved $26,200,000 worth of renovations and upgrades which is being funded by the state at the rate of 97.7%. Our building aid is being increased next year to match the money we have borrowed to fund the ongoing work. This money cannot be used for any other purpose. Plans for the new bus garage are currently being reviewed by the State Education Department. We anticipate that once approval is received, work will commence some time this summer. EXCEL PROJECT NOW IN PHASE TWOPosted on December 21, 2009 We are currently in Phase 2 of the $26.2 million dollar EXCEL Project approved by the voters two years ago. The community gave us permission on December 15, 2009 to move ahead with building a new bus garage on South Centerville Road. We expect that work to begin the end of June and be ready for September 2010. Our high school auditorium is receiving a much needed face lift over the winter recess with new seating, new carpeting, a new sound system, and improved lighting and stage rigging. Renovation of the high school gym floor and bleachers will take place during the summer of 2010. Work continues on the heating, air handling, electrical and plumbing upgrades in the elementary/intermediate school building. BUS GARAGE REFERENDUM PASSESPosted December 16, 2009 The bus garage referendum has passed with 483 YES votes and 177 NO votes. The project now goes into the design phase and will then be reviewed by the New York State Education Department. We hope to award contracts this spring and begin construction as soon as school is out this summer. A September 2010 completion date is anticipated. We thank the community for its ongoing support. BUS GARAGE REFERENDUM Posted on November 17, 2009 On December 15, 2009, a referendum will go before the voters of the community to replace the bus garage. This project will not cost the taxpayers any additional money. In February 2008 voters approved a capital project which included, in part, a renovation of the bus garage. During the renovation process this past summer, the main structure was deemed unstable and it was necessary to abandon the building and its planned renovations. Our architects and the state education department, working with the district, have determined that we will be able to reconstruct the garage on the same site and that the cost of a new facility can be accommodated within the originally authorized referendum amount. We can build a bus garage on the South Centerville site without asking our taxpayers for any additional money. However, we must ask the voters to approve spending the same money approved in 2008 in a different way. That's what the vote on December 15 is all about. PHASE 1 OF EXCEL PROJECT ON SCHEDULEUpdated August 4, 2009 Work is proceeding on schedule for Phase 1 of our capital improvement project we call the EXCEL project. Pictured here is work being done in front of the elementary/intermediate school building to repave and reconfigure the bus loop making it safer for our students and their families. Middle school sidewalks, the middle school roof, the high school track, the athletic field known as the “pit” and the lights on the varsity football field are all being renovated and updated. The board of education continues to meet about the bus garage and our transportation facility on South Centerville Road. The board voted last week to demolish the bus garage when it was discovered that the lack of a supporting foundation rendered it unstable. We continue to evaluate options for its reconstruction.  Additional Project PicturesEXCEL PROJECT TO BEGIN THIS SUMMERUpdated May 1, 2009 The EXCEL project, which was approved by the voters in February 2008, has been reviewed and approved by officials at the State Education Department. This review process was necessary in order to receive the funds from the state to finance this improvement project. The board of education is in the process of awarding bids to contractors who will begin work this summer. Much of the work in the scope of this project targets our oldest building, our fifty-year-old elementary/intermediate school. While structurally sound, most of the systems listed above are original, and are, therefore, costly to maintain and repair. Of particular concern are the heating and air handling systems. In addition, with the changing times, security and safety are at the fore front of community concern. This renovation project will also allow us to enhance handicapped accessibility in all of our facilities. The renovations and upgrades will take place in three phases: Phase 1 will take place during this summer. Phase 2 will take place during the 2009-2010 school year, much of it during a second shift when students are not in the building. Phase 3 work will be completed during the summer of 2010. Note: The district has engaged the services of Ameresco, Inc. to implement energy efficiency and saving measures through an energy performance contract to be submitted under separate cover and to run concurrently with this capital improvement project.
ASBESTOS ABATEMENT PROCEDURESUpdated June 11, 2009 As part of the EXCEL project detailed on this page, extensive work will be done on our oldest building, the elementary/intermediate school building. In order to install new heating and air handling units in many of the classrooms, it will be necessary to remove a small portion of tile in each affected room. In the 1950's, when this original building was constructed, it was customary to use vinly tiles containing a small percentage of asbestos. Some of the piping in crawl spaces and boiler rooms may also contain asbestos. Codes and regulations have changed and asbestos is no longer used in school building materials. Today, working with and removing materials that contain asbestos, sometimes called asbestos abatement, is a safe and highly regulated process. We have hired the necessary professionals to assist us in this process and to ensure that contracors follow all regulatory protocols. To read more about the asbestos abatement procedures we will use, please click here. EXTRA SAFETY MEASURES TO BE PUT IN PLACE DURING PROJECT
EXCEL PROJECT ON SCHEDULE Updated February 18, 2009 The EXCEL project, which was approved by the voters in February 2008, is currently being reviewed by officials at the State Education Department. This review process is necessary in order to receive the funds from the state to finance this improvement project. The information given here is meant to remind the community of some of the specifics of the project. We expect work to begin this summer (July 2009).
In May 2005, the Thomas Group, a Tetra Tech company, completed a facility evaluation for the district which reviewed and prioritized maintenance and upgrade information for the facilities and grounds for three of our five major buildings. This evaluation studied the elementary/intermediate school building, originally built in 1958 with a 1966 addition, the high school, built in 1974 with a 2000 addition, and the bus garage, originally built in 1983 with additions in 1987 and 1990.
The other buildings in our district, the middle school and Otisville Elementary School, were not included in this evaluation. At the time of the study, the middle school was undergoing a classroom addition and partial renovation of the original 1991 building. It was determined that the elementary school in Otisville was inadequate for our needs and a month after the evaluation was completed (June 2005), the community passed a referendum to replace the undersized and outdated building with a new elementary school that just opened in September 2008.
The three buildings that were the subject of the 2005 study became the focus of the board of education and a community-based Growth Task Force who began work on a plan to protect the investment that the community has in its facilities. With the assistance of the 2005 evaluation, the district identified areas in general construction, mechanical systems, plumbing, electrical, and HVAC systems, safety and security and technology upgrades. Limited work is also being done on the recently upgraded middle school (2006).
Much of the work in the scope of this project targets our oldest building, our fifty-year-old elementary/intermediate school. While structurally sound, most of the systems listed above are original, and are, therefore, costly to maintain and repair. Of particular concern are the heating and air handling systems. In addition, with the changing times, security and safety are at the fore front of community concern. This renovation project will also allow us to enhance handicapped accessibility in all of our facilities.
Note: The district has engaged the services of Ameresco, Inc. to implement energy efficiency and saving measures through an energy performance contract to be submitted under separate cover and to run concurrently with this capital improvement project.
Project Highlights
Elementary/Intermediate School Building Upgrades HVAC system work including replacement of the 1950’s original heating system Replace boilers Replace electrical distribution system and main panels Plumbing upgrades including replacement of hot water tank Provide concrete flooring for dirt storage areas Provide accessible concrete ramps and install walkway to back playground Replace floor tiles in health office and cafeteria and shore up sagging hallway connection between C wing and 0riginal building. Provide new shades for building cafeterias Replace several interior and exterior doors and replace or re-key door hardware Provide additional auditorium house lights Install new fire alarm, clock and PA systems
Middle School Building Upgrades Replace original building roof Replace skylights Provide additional gymnasium wall pads Provide new ADA compliant assistive listening on gymnasium and auditorium sound systems Rehabilitate multi purpose playing field
High School Building Upgrades Replace windows and exterior doors in original building Replace original skylight windows in the cafeteria Refinish gym floor and replace motorized bleachers Upgrade elevator to be ADA compliant Replace auditorium seats and carpeting Upgrade auditorium and stage lighting Miscellaneous plumbing upgrades including sprinklers in selected areas Replace selected exterior and interior doors Provide new fire alarm system Resurface track
Bus Garage Upgrades Provide new drainage and paving improvements Replace roof and skylights Replace one bus lift and add a second lift Expand the bus wash system Replace gasoline and diesel fuel tanks Upgrade electrical system Provide a new fire alarm system Provide a new fire suppression system at the fuel station Provide a one story addition for increased operational space
District Wide Upgrades Provide school bus surveillance system Provide CCTV surveillance system across all facilities Provide intrusion detection system across all facilities Provide access control system across all facilities Provide additional lighting to improve safety, security, and visibility Upgrade radio communications with multiple base station repeaters Provide ceiling mounted projectors for all classrooms in the district
CAPITAL PROJECT APPROVED. NEXT STEPS. The community has approved, by a vote of 1132-602, the capital project proposed by the board of education. The work includes improvements and upgrades to the elementary/intermediate school, the middle school, the high school, and the bus garage. To see a complete list of the work to be done, click here. Now that the project has been approved by the voters, our architects from the Thomas Group will begin the design phase, which will spell out, in great detail, the specifics of the work to be done. This will take several weeks to a few months. This detailed plan is then sent to the New York State Department of Education where every aspect of the work is reviewed in detail. This part of the process will take several months. Based on our past experience with the design phase and the Department of Education review phase, the earliest we would expect to see work commence is the summer of 2009. In order to insure continued operation of our facilities, work is likely to be phased in over multiple years. We will keep the community informed as we reach different milestones along the way. |
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