Districtwide improvements showing promise
Students are starting to see a change for the better at Scotia-Glenville schools.
The Scotia-Glenville Capital Improvement Project totaling $11.9 million, which the public voted for in May 2009, started in June and is expected to be done by September 2011. Representatives from Mosaic Associates Architects presented the district Board of Education with a presentation on the progress of the project.
[The project] is going to allow us to make the necessary improvement at our buildings, said Robert Hanlon, spokesman for the school district, after the meeting. `These are projects that will benefit our students and are long overdue in many cases.`
There are a few improvements from the 1999 improvement plan included in the current project, said Hanlon, because the budget estimates came in too low and efforts to reduce cost had to be taken.
Currently the project is halfway completed and by January 60 percent of the project should be accomplished, which is ahead of schedule.
`We have had tremendous success where contractors were able to work undisturbed,` said John Jojo, associate partner at Mosaic Associates Architects. `We have had some occurrences where we have asked contractors to relocate to different areas of the basement in the high school, they’ve been cooperative and we’ve been able to keep, that is really going on behind the scenes, moving right along.`
Most of the improvements currently done are ones the public will notice, said Jojo, with more behind-the-scenes work needing to be done before completion.
At Glendaal Elementary School, a canopy in the rear area doorway of the building was corrected and there is new paving in the area. The Glen-Worden entry road was torn up and repaved with the addition of new parking spaces.
The high school main entrance got a face-lift with the sign relocated, new sidewalks and fixed issues with the overhead canopy removing a portion. The side entrance in the front of the building was also improved, but not lighted, since it is mainly used at the beginning and end of day for students. There is also new lighting along the entranceway.
One important improvement for the public was the repairing of the high school track, which is available for residents to use.
`We only hit a few minor hiccups in the early stage,` said Jojo about the track repair.
Some cracks were found in the carpet of the track, which is underneath the running surface, and they were repaired, he said.
`The track is actually performing better than I thought it was going to be,` said Jojo.
`A 20 year old track, when you can’t see what it is, you apply some experience that you got and it worked out really well.`
Although the track will eventually need to be completely replaced since future maintenance work might not be possible.
`In 15 years when the tracks needs to be replaced, it will actually have to go back down to the ground,` said Jojo. `We would probably not be able to reinvigorate it any more, so I just wanted to make sure that folks really get a handle on that.`
Middle school students might also appreciate that their library will be getting a much-needed fix.
`Getting rid of that open floor model of library form the 1970’s I think is one of the biggest goals and achievement of this project,` said Hanlon. `The library is supposed to be the center piece of the school that wasn’t happening at our middle school because of the design and layout of the library.`
The library located on the second floor of the middle school previously had no walls and only bookcases used for a sort of barrier. When classes would change, said Hanlon, the library would be very noise since it had no buffer from outside activity.
Leaky roofs at some elementary schools are an issue the developer is also trying to address.
`We are still investigating that, you have had it for 10 years, so you have to give me a little time to investigate that,` said Jojo regarding the Glen-Worden roof that is leaking.
Hanlon said if these improvements were put off further the expense would only increase in the future.
`It is a conservative community and we don’t get a lot of changes to make these kind of improvements,` said Hanlon.“