Port Washington's Schools: A Walking Tour

If there were three standout problems that seemed prevalent in most of the seven school buildings in the Port Washington school district, the consensus would likely be the following.

The classrooms and other portions of the building are way too hot – even in winter – to be conducive to learning. The exterior doors, if replaced, would improve security, protecting not only students and teachers, but also equipment and other resources. And there are leaky roofs, though some buildings have it worse than others.

The state of the buildings was revealed on Wednesday and Thursday, as Board of Education members and school administrators walked through each of the district's elementary, middle and high school facilities. And though the public was invited to join them, only a handful of residents – if that – were present at any given walk-through.

Of course no repair or upgrade is without a price tag. 

"To upgrade electricity to carry air-conditioning is $50,000 – just to upgrade," said  James Ristano, director of facilities and 0perations. To understand the need, Ristano recommends a districtwide initiative, where students record the humidity and temperature and track the numbers over a period of time.

And replacing the doors could cost between $2,000 and $3,000 apiece. With 10 doors per school, at each of the seven schools, the district could spend as much as $210,000 to replace them. 

The district puts a priority on building maintenance, according to its 2010-11 budget. This year it has allocated $244,200 for maintenance, as it did for the previous academic year. 

At Schreiber High School, the cafeteria in particular gets excessively hot during lunch, particularly with lunch crowds in the same vicinity where cooking takes place. "There are parents that want to raise money" to provide air-conditioning, said School Board President Karen Sloan. Providing air-conditioning in the cafeteria would benefit all students, not just some in specific classrooms. What's more, the cafeteria could then be used as a testing site, where students, in an air-conditioned area, would stay alert.

Most of the building's exterior doors need replacing, and by adding security swipe-card technology, the district could control who is granted access into specific entry points and when, Ristano said. Many school districts already have this technology, he added. 

Other needs include science lab rooms  that will soon require asbestos floor abatement, though this is being carefully monitored, as well as new working cabinetry and new fireproof curtains to replace the existing ones, which are 25-years old. But while new floors could run as much as $10,000 per room, the district is finding ways to save. For example, in-house carpenters have built new lab stations for the science rooms, and in one of the gyms, they built a sorely needed equipment closet. Other necessities include brick-pointing, repair of concrete cracks, and replacement of old windows. Teachers are also requesting white boards, a modern response to the dust-producing chalkboards, said Brad Fitzgerald, an assistant principal.

During the Weber Middle School tour, Marilyn M. Rodahan asked that the building not be overlooked. The roof leaks, causing seepage "that needs to be addressed," she said, adding that custodians repair where the plaster bubbles up, "but it always comes back," she said. In certain rooms the air is stagnant, especially where windows do not stay open and if they do, wasps and even pigeons enter. The locker rooms, nestled in the building's basement, are antiquated – "degrading," as Rodahan put it – and in the boys locker rooms there is an unused shower section where sports teams stow their backpacks during practice and games. Ristano thought that as a capital project, the district could tear out and build new locker rooms, creating a better use of space. 

John J. Daly Elementary School is struggling with heating and air-conditioning too, and needs to upgrade the playground adjacent to the Continuing and Community Education Annex.

Guggenheim Elementary School needs to replace an obsolete public address system, said Principal Barbara Giebel.  And while exterior doors also require replacement, Giebel said she feels the building is very secure, thanks to Sands Point Police, whose jurisdiction her building falls under.

John Philip Sousa Elementary School is in the process of getting a new roof, but also needs new doors. While the windows on the second floor have been replaced on one side of the building through an energy efficiency bond, another side still needs replacing, Ristano said. 

At Manorhaven Elementary School, Ristano pointed out that the building could be made more secure by enclosing the walkway from the portable classrooms to the main building. The air-conditioning system in the library is outdated, said Principal Bonni Cohen. 

South Salem Elementary School, which reopened in 2003 is also struggling with its ventilation system, and has leaking skylights. Also, the cafeteria gets excessively noisy.