Floor plate sills exposed to inclement weather have deteriorated in the internal courtyards at all of the primary buildings, like this section at Hemlock. This begins a series of focused articles submitted by the Garden City School District examining the proposed bond work at each of the district’s nine buildings.

The Primary Schools - Hemlock, Homestead,

and Locust

On October 27th, the Garden City community will be asked to vote on a School Investment Bond to address substantial needs throughout the district. Each of the district’s nine buildings will be impacted by the bond proposal. The cost of the proposed bond is $36.5 million, which includes renovation costs to meet present day health and safety code requirements, as well as to reclaim and add learning space for academic program growth. The total amount of the projects will be partially offset by the use of $1.3 million in capital funds and an estimated $1.35 million in New York State EXCEL aid (the district must spend the money before being reimbursed by the state).

Inefficient single pane windows in the primary schools, many of which are clouded and do not close properly, will be replaced with energy efficient windows. The comprehensive bond proposal, which addresses only the district’s most pressing needs, has been reviewed, revised and recommended by a Facilities Committee that included community members who have worked tirelessly during the past two years to put forth the most conservative and cost-effective plan. If approved, at its peak in 2014-2015, the bond will cost the average assessed homeowner 71 cents per day.

As a result of inclement weather and improper grading, Locust has issues with sills similar to those at Hemlock and Homestead. Historically, Garden City Public Schools has asked the community for two previous building improvement bonds, one in the 1960s and one in the late 1990s, far less frequently than neighboring school districts, many of which float capital improvement bonds every 10-15 years. For example, BBS Architects and Engineers, the company authorized by the Board of Education to prepare a comprehensive facilities report, has completed bond projects in the past 10 years in Manhasset ($21.5 million), Franklin Square ($14.4 million), Oyster Bay-East Norwich ($7 million; $14.5 million), Port Washington ($15 million; $.6 million; $30 million - pending), North Shore ($10 million), and Carle Place ($10.9 million) school districts.

Homestead’s phone system is an example of why the district’s communications need upgrading to function in the 21st centur Garden City has maintained its buildings utilizing annual capital funds, however the scope of the proposed projects far exceeds the district’s annual capital fund allocation. The high school roof alone, an item not included in the 1999 bond, is more than double the district’s annual capital fund allocation.

The three kindergarten and first grade neighborhood schools - Hemlock, Homestead and Locust - are the newest buildings in the district, built in 1959. The bond would ensure that these schools would see renovations and grounds work to eliminate chronic flooding problems that have caused widespread sill deterioration and related problems. Instructional spaces would be brought up to heating and ventilation, and construction material codes, heavy exterior doors that no longer close properly would be replaced with doors that meet today’s safety standards, and energy savings would be realized with the replacement of inefficient, single pane windows throughout the buildings. Each building’s communications system also would be modernized. Homestead, the primary school with projected enrollment increases, would have an addition added to its physical plant to address the spatial and programmatic needs of its present and anticipated student population.

At Locust, improperly graded grounds cause water to enter the building in several areas. How will the bond impact the primary buildings? The building principals, the educational leaders who live with the facilities’ issues every day, responded:

“The single pane windows impact the health and safety of our students in several ways,” commented Hemlock Principal Audrey Bellovin. “The temperature in the building is difficult to regulate and balance. We have children in short sleeves in one part of the building and sweatshirts in another. Parents don’t know how to dress their children.

Lighting fixtures in some classrooms at Locust, like others at Hemlock and Homestead, are no longer up to code and need to be replaced with recessed fixtures. “In inclement weather, the mud collects against the building and then gets tracked inside. Dirt on the floor can increase the number of slips in the hallway,” she continued. “The replacement of the courtyard hall radiators will be a tremendous help to the air quality of the building. The way these are constructed makes it difficult to get inside and clean them thoroughly.

Old classroom ceilings and lighting in the primary buildings, like this section in a Hemlock classroom, will be replaced as part of an energy performance contract. “Additionally, last year, we had a child with a broken leg in a wheelchair. We had to choose a different exit to evacuate the student during fire drills because the closest exit was not wheelchair accessible.”

At Homestead, Principal Dr. Suzanne Viscovich explained that “while teachers are skilled at delivering quality instruction, present facilities are unable to fully accommodate our needs, and safety concerns are an issue. The library at Homestead is currently shared between library and music on alternating days. The multipurpose room is shared by students in physical education and art on the same day. The classes are separated merely by a curtain and physical education activities can spill into the curtained area, posing a safety hazard. The teachers’ and students’ voices in one special class compete with those on the other side of the curtain, compromising learning in both.

Exterior wood doors, like these at Homestead, are outdated and no longer function appropriately. “Offices were created inside three kindergarten classrooms to accommodate support services, including Resource Room, Developmental Skills, and Speech. Group transitions and voice levels can disrupt the instruction in these kindergarten classrooms. The support rooms are small, not constructed with materials up to today’s codes, can only fit one table with chairs, and are difficult to heat and ventilate.

“Since 2004, there has been no space allocated for Occupational Therapy or Physical Therapy. When there are no other spaces available, these services may take place in the hallways of Homestead School.”

At Homestead, like the other primary schools built in 1959, deteriorating wood sills exist at numerous locations beneath single pane windows. Principal Jean Ricotta at Locust School acknowledges that her school and its children “would benefit from the projects in the School Investment Bond in several ways. There are exterior doors that do not have adequate landings. This could cause children to trip if they are moving quickly in an emergency situation.

“Our biggest difficulty occurs when there is heavy rain because water enters the back of the building. The grade is pitched toward the school, resulting in wet classroom rugs and materials ruined by the water. The grade in the front courtyard also needs to be reduced because water enters the school and has caused the window sills to deteriorate.

“Many of the windows at Locust are single pane and the exterior doors, whose hydraulic safety closing features leak and/or no longer work properly, are original wood and need to be replaced. The windows are not all clear, some have a ‘cloudy appearance’ or are colored glass.

“The issues addressed by the proposed bond construction are priority items for our students.”

Garden City Board of Education members, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Robert Feirsen, and Assistant Superintendent Al Chase have attended Back-to-School Nights to address questions parents might have about the bond proposal. “This cost-effective, conservative plan is directed toward addressing safety issues and meeting laws, regulations and code requirements,” stated Dr. Feirsen. “These items must be addressed. And we will realize the best return on our investment by doing them now while rates are low and construction firms are eager for work.”

To give the Garden City community the opportunity to see the issues the schools are facing, individual building tours will be conducted as follows:

• Saturday, September 26th

9:30 a.m. - Primary Schools; 11 a.m. - Stratford

• Saturday, October 3rd

9:30 a.m. - Middle School; 11:30 a.m. High School

• Saturday, October 17th

9:30 a.m. - Stewart

To serve the community, the Board of Education arranged for a Town Hall meeting for all POAs on Tuesday, September 29th, 8:00 p.m., at Garden City High School. On Thursday, October 8th, 7:30 p.m., the Garden City PTA will host a meeting with school district officials to discuss the bond.

Additionally, a newsletter will be sent to homes outlining the proposed work during the first week of October. Bond information, a video outlining health and safety issues, and updates about the bond proposal can be accessed on the Bond Referendum page of the district web site: www.gardencity.k12.ny.us.

“To uphold our tradition of excellence, we must provide our students with a 21st-century learning environment,” stated Board of Education President Colleen E. Foley. “We want to maintain small class size, grow our academic programs, provide our students with broader experiences and compete with other school districts on Long Island and throughout the country.”