School News

Few projects on tap for District 24

Wish list is long but tax cap forces tough choices

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While there aren’t a lot of major building projects on deck for Valley Stream District 24, there is a fairly extensive wish list of repairs and upgrades that would improve the three elementary schools.

Members of the Board of Education and the public got a look at some of the items that need attention, as well as recently completed projects, during the annual building inspection last Saturday morning. The purpose of the tour, explained board President Tony Iadevaio, is to give board members a first-hand, up-close look at the buildings so they can make informed decisions when planning the capital section of the budget. “We look to see what our facilities need,” Iadevaio said.

Board members will then determine the priorities, he said, and decide what the district can afford. Iadevaio noted that with the new 2 percent property tax cap in place, making these decisions becomes even tougher.

He explained how valuable the building inspections are to maintain clean and safe facilities. Iadevaio said that two years ago during the tour, one board member pointed out a large crack in the brick work of the William L. Buck School. The district called in an architect who determined that there was a significant problem, and the crack was repaired this past summer. During this year’s tour, board members got to see the completed work.

The next big project for the Buck School will be an upgrade of the school’s electrical service this coming summer. Charles Brocher, the district facilities director, said it will be increased from 400 to 800 amps, with the same work likely to follow at the Brooklyn Avenue School the next summer.

The floor tiles need to be replaced in several classrooms at the three schools, Brocher said. He would like to do three of four rooms a year, starting with the floors in the worst condition.

At the Brooklyn Avenue School, Brocher showed the board some masonry repairs that were made over the summer. For the future, he said insulation needs to be added in the attics of the two newer wings, which became necessary when a pipe froze and burst last year.

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