By Samuel Glasser
The latest update of the Floral Park-Bellerose School District’s five-year capital facilities plan shows that an estimated $40 million in upgrades are needed for the two elementary school buildings, the district architect said in a presentation at the Board of Education meeting Monday.
Ralph Cassetta of Campbell Cassetta Architects reviewed the annual updates to the five-year facilities plan that the state requires of each school district.
Cassetta said the facilities are well maintained and the district has been diligent in defining the most essential projects. However, the report said that there are some systems and equipment at both buildings that are original and past their useful life.
The heating systems are the main concerns at John Lewis Childs School, built in 1921, and Floral Park-Bellerose School, built in 1929, Cassetta said.
While the two buildings have been expanded several times over decades and the heating plants at both have been modified several times – and updated to some extent – a feasibility study shows that most of the equipment has surpassed its expected service life and needs to be replaced.
The related ventilation and air conditioning systems are also obsolete.
The facilities report proposes replacing the steam boilers and heating equipment with hot water systems tied to the new building management system with digital controls. Other work at both buildings includes paving replacements, technology upgrades, corridor flooring replacements and other projects.
Masonry at the John Lewis Childs building is a “significant concern,” as the chimney needs to be reconstructed, and there are other miscellaneous masonry issues, Cassetta said.
“Masonry items are to be expected in buildings of this age. It just needs to be maintained,” he said.
The total five-year estimated project costs are $16.2 million for John Lewis Childs School and $23.8 million for Floral Park-Bellerose School.
In other business, interim Superintendent Lisa Ruiz announced that Meghan Dixon was appointed assistant principal for the John Lewis Childs School as of July 1. She succeeds Kristina Lynch, the current assistant principal who was named principal.
Dixon currently serves as an assistant principal in the Lindenhurst School District and has worked as a special education teacher and assistant principal in the New York City school system.
The board also issued distinguished service resolutions to Victoria Sammartano, the librarian at Floral Park-Bellerose School, who is retiring after 25 years with the district; Janet Romano Murray, secretary in the central administration office, who is retiring; and Beth Kierez, who will step down from the board when her term ends on June 30.
The board conducted a brief hearing on district security and emergency response plan updates.
Robert Costa, district facilities director, said the revisions include an updated contact list, a description of how remote learning will be conducted should it become necessary, and the addition of some provisions that the state requires, such as including school bus drivers and monitors in procedures and policies regarding acts of violence.
Costa said the safety plan is available for public comment for 30 days on the district website as of June 11.
The next regular board meeting will be held on July 1.
