Island Park Board of Education gives updates on summer projects

This summer, Island Park’s Francis X. Hegarty Elementary School and Lincoln Orens Middle School will receive major upgrades through several bond, capital and FEMA-funded projects. As a result of the months-long construction, the schools will not host their usual summer programs.

Superintendent Dr. Rosmarie Bovino announced at a Board of Education meeting on March 25 that Island Park students could instead join the City of Long Beach’s summer day camp at the same price as Long Beach residents. “We are very happy about that,” Bovino told parents. “It’s very gracious of the city to do that for us.”

The program runs from July 1 through Aug. 15 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and costs $625. Children can also attend afternoon sports camp from 1 to 5 p.m. for an additional $625, which includes bus transportation between the two camps. The morning camp is held at Lindell Elementary School and Long Beach Middle School, and parents may choose a location upon registering. The afternoon camp is held at the Long Beach Recreation Campus. Applications are available at longbeachny.gov.

Additionally, Island Park Public Schools will offer two weeks of trips over the summer from July 8 to 12 and July 15 to 19, with one slate of trips for elementary school students and another for middle school students. Students can attend either one or both weeks, said Recreation Supervisor Keith Manginelli. Some trips include Bounce U, Long Island Game Farm, Indoor Beach Sports and Adventureland.

Parents may register their children on May 1 at Lincoln Orens Middle School from 6 to 9 p.m. Other options including making an appointment at the recreation office, which is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays, or registering by phone via credit card. Pricing varies for each set of five trips.

Students will return to schools with newly installed fire alarm, carbon monoxide and public address systems. Both schools’ new PA systems will include telephone handsets in classrooms enabling teachers to directly communicate with school administration and first responders in case of an emergency.

At Francis X. Hegarty, all casework shelving will be replaced and removed in classrooms on the second floor, according to Assistant Superintendent Vincent Randazzo. This project requires abating, removing and replacing original asbestos floor tiles. The gymnasium ceiling and lighting will be replaced, as well.

In addition, the elementary school will have a building-wide electrical upgrade to prepare for the installation of a new standby generator in the fall and an air conditioning system in 2020.

Lincoln Orens will undergo similar work, including the gym ceiling and lighting and building-wide electrical upgrades in preparation for a new air conditioning system. The school will also get new dual usage unit ventilators to accommodate for heating and air conditioning, which will require removing the original unit and replacing classroom floor tiles.

While most work will be completed in August, the more intensive projects will extend through September. Randazzo stressed that all work happening after Sept. 1 will be done after school hours and on weekends.

More information can be found at ips.k12.ny.us.