Capital project update presented to Herricks School Board

A progress report on the capital improvements project underway at the Herricks public schools was presented by the architect and the construction manager to the Board of Education at its meeting last Thursday.

A total of $29.5 million has been earmarked to repair and upgrade facilities throughout the district, the bulk of which is being financed by a $25 million bond that was approved by the voters in a 2016 referendum. The balance is being funded by existing capital reserves, thus no additional taxes will be required, according to the board.

Steve Walsh of BBS Architects and Brandon Weisberg from Park East Construction reported on the status of infrastructure work that has been conducted over the last several months.

Weisberg highlighted three phases of the project in the high school that are nearing completion.

Critical demolition and asbestos abatement, electrical disconnects in the auditorium, and framing and sheetrocking in the hallways are expected to be completed before school opens in September.

The generator in the basement has been removed and will be replaced by a new unit which should be delivered in early March.

Also, masonry improvements, including repointing of brickwork is being done on buildings across the district. Replacement of cracked bricks should be completed at Searingtown in September and at Denton and Center by the end of November.

The high school auditorium renovation is expected to be finished by late January, said Walsh.

He noted that after school reopens contractors will switch to working during evening and night hours to minimize disruption of classes and student activities. Lisa Rutkoske, assistant superintendent for business, added that a lot of work has been done on weekends to complete as much as possible before school opens.

Trustee Brian Hassan praised the work of the contractors and urged members of the community to drive up the hill at the high school and see the improvements that have been made over the last several years. Hassan said, “It gives you that feel of a college campus.”

Board President Jim Gounaris announced that future board meetings will start at 8 p.m. The next meeting will be on Sept. 8.