Valley Stream Central High School District Board of Education members, administrators and residents took the start of 2020 as an opportunity to look at school facilities. The annual building tours, held on Jan. 4, explored potential capital improvements and facility upgrades.
“This is the time of year when we kick off our budget season and look at capital projects of past, present and future,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Bill Heidenreich said. “Our Board of Education remains committed to providing our students with world-class facilities.”
Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations Dr. Wayne Loper guided the group and discussed the facilities’ current conditions and areas to possibly address in the next school year. The district’s director of security through Wisdom Protective Services security firm, Dave Buxbaum, shared information about security enhancements; specifically, the ScholarChip identification technology. School principals also explained the buildings’ possibilities for improvements.
Twenty-seven capital projects identified as high priority are being recommended for the 2020-21 budget. Districtwide furniture upgrades and miscellaneous concrete and blacktop repairs are planned, as is the second year of water fountain replacements. Additional items include plumbing and electrical projects for field restrooms at North, South and Memorial, locker repairs/replacements and main office window reconstruction at North and South, courtyard stage work at North, FAC and art room renovations at South and dance studio air conditioning at Central. At Memorial, science office renovations, gymnasium lighting replacement, wrestling room updates and flagpole installation are being considered.
Several other items will be recommended within a separate capital reserve proposition. Among them are gymnasium lobby refurbishment at North and South, tennis court renovations at North, fencing at South, field renovations at Central and elevator replacement, kitchen and serving line renovations and teacher’s entrance stoop reconstruction at Memorial.
The Board of Education will continue to discuss and consider the improvements that have been presented as the May budget vote approaches. At this point, no final decisions have been made as far as items that will be included in the operating budget for next year.