The fruits of the first phase of construction on Herricks School District capital improvements will soon be seen.
Mobilization for renovation on the high school fields started Oct. 2 with the installation of a temporary construction fence and a bridge over the running track to protect it from damage by construction vehicles.
“It’s exciting to see the work begin and you’ll soon see them put the synthetic turf down, hopefully by December,” said Superintendent Fino Celano.
Excavation of existing topsoil will begin next week.
This summer, the district started replacing interior doors and windows. The district is also installing a new keycard access system on outside doors, district officials said.
School officials said they hope approval for Phase II will be approved for construction by January. The second phase features renovation of the school cafeteria, and includes the addition of a press box and new bleachers at the field.
The work is being done after district voters approved a $25 million bond package for capital improvement projects last year.
The bond package includes the construction of a comfort station at the athletic fields. District administration notified the board that the cost of construction is expected to increase from $75,000 to $90,000.
District officials said the reason for the price increase is a change of location for the comfort station, which sets it back further from the school access road, so sewer and water access will need to extend from the road to the comfort station’s new location.
Future phases include the renovation of the district’s science labs and the construction of a new fitness center.
The projects are top priorities on an $80 million list of fixes the district identified in a survey of its buildings in 2015.
CONSULTANTS
The school board unanimously approved funds for special academic and athletic programming provided by consultants.
Roslyn resident Maria Cadorniga of Yoga with Mia to run four yoga sessions before school on Oct. 10-13. She will be paid $300.
Tae Cole Tae Kwon Do Fitness of Albertson will provide martial arts instruction during the Saturday Recreation Program at Herricks Middle School. The consultant will be paid $1,087, broken down as $30.85 per session for 32 sessions and a $100 consultant fee. The program runs from Nov. 18 to April 21.
Stony Brook resident Dr. Jonathan Anzalone, the Assistant Director for the Center for News Literacy at the Stony Brook Foundation, will conduct a workshop Nov. 7 on news literacy in conjunction with the English departments and the high school and middle school. He will be paid $750.
COMPETITIONS
The school board also unanimously approved funds for several student trips in a single motion Thursday.
High school DECA students were approved to attend the DECA State Career Conference in Rochester from March 7-9 after advancing from the Regional Nassau County Competition. Students will miss three days of school. The cost to the district is $500 per student.
High school and middle school students will also compete in the New York State History Day at the Fenimore Art Museum and The Farmers Museum in Cooperstown from April 22-23. The cost to the district is $214 per student and will include transportation, a hotel and registration.
High school and middle school students will also travel to the University of Maryland in Washington, D.C. to compete in History Day’s National Competition from June 10-13. The trip is expected to cost $832 per student and includes transportation, a hotel and registration.
