Video, photos: What’s new in Riverhead schools

When Riverhead public schools reopen next week, students, parents, faculty and staff will find some major changes have taken place at several of the school campuses — with some big projects underway and continuing into the school year at the high school.

The buildings were buzzing with construction activity last week when Superintendent Nancy Carney took RiverheadLOCAL on a tour of the high school, and three of the elementary schools where construction has been underway all summer. Watch video (below.)

Here are some highlights of what’s been done.

Riverhead High School

The front of the high school has been completely fenced off for the construction of an addition to the building. The addition will house new science rooms, classrooms and office space. When completed, it will be a brand new front entrance to the school building. Construction on the addition will continue throughout the current and next school year and is scheduled to be completed by September of 2014, Superintendent Nancy Carney said last week during a tour of the school facility improvements.

The parking lot in the front of the school has been closed due to the construction. Faculty, staff and visitors who previously used the front lot will park in the back lot, reducing the number of parking spaces available for student use. Parking spaces will be assigned only to high school seniors in good academic standing on a first-come, first-serve basis, Carney said.

Workers have created a temporary student drop-off loop at the entrance on the south side of the building, off School Street, for students being dropped off or picked up by private vehicles. School buses will drop off and pick up students in the back parking lot. The entrance to the back parking lot from School Street has been reconfigured so that there are now one-way entrance and exits, providing better access for school buses and other vehicles.

The high school auditorium has been gutted. The seats have been removed, the existing flooring has been removed and all asbestos materials have been removed, Carney said. The auditorium will get a new floor, new seats and new lighting, she said. Carney said the project is scheduled to be completed in January — in time for the winter concerts, she hopes. The auditorium stage is intact and will remain available for use by teachers and students for lessons, she said.

The high school library has also been gutted for renovations, which officials hope will be completed by November.

The gymnasium at the high school has been renovated and now sports a new floor, new light fixtures, brand new bleachers and new pads on freshly painted walls.

The “commons” area across from the cafeteria has been converted for use as an office. The school store remains in the same location.

Construction of an addition off the northeast corner of the high school, which will house a new weight room, has not yet begun. Other future improvements include renovation and enclosure of the cafeteria, replacement of student lockers and general classroom remodeling and painting.

The courtyard in the rear of the building is slated to be renovated and the parking lot will be resurfaced, Carney said.

The 40-year-old high school — like most school buildings in the district — is being fitted with new energy-efficient windows and doors.

Riley Avenue Elementary School

Riley Avenue Elementary School students will enjoy an expanded and renovated cafetorium this year. The larger space will allow the school to serve lunch in fewer seatings, which means all lunch periods will begin at more customary lunch times. Classrooms have been remodeled and new energy-efficient windows, shades and doors have been installed throughout the school. There’s a new computer lab and a completely renovated library. A building addition houses two new classrooms 
at Riley. A new playground has also been installed, along with Project Fit equipment sponsored by Peconic Bay Medical Center.

Phillips Avenue Elementary School

Phillips was the first building to break ground on capital construction improvements, which began in the summer of 2012. Improvements completed before this summer included a new bus loop, new parking areas and a renovated and expanded library, which opened in March.

All classrooms now have new energy-efficient windows and shades, all have been repainted, ceiling tiles have been replaced, as needed. New energy-efficient entry doors have been installed. Space has been reconfigured to create new
offices for social workers and support staff.

A new playground is now complete, with rubber playground surfacing installed.

Aquebogue Elementary School

The big change at Aquebogue is the construction of a kitchen, which will for the first time allow food to be cooked on-site instead of at the high school for delivery to the elementary schools without kitchens, Aquebogue and Roanoke, where meals would be reheated for consumption.

“It’s our goal to have kitchens at each school so we can provide fresh-cooked meals for students at every location,” Carney said.

The classrooms, hallways and gym have fresh paint on the walls. The hardwood floors in the hallways have been stripped down and refinished.

A Project Fit playground is also being installed at Aquebogue.

“We’re all so very excited about this project,” Aquebogue principal Phil Kent said. “Children, parents and teachers will benefit from this work for years to come.”

In general throughout the district

In addition to specific interior renovations, all buildings have new roofs and most are getting repaved parking lots. The district office parking lot has been paved also.

Triton Construction is the overall project manager for the district, overseeing the multitude of construction companies that won bids for the various buildings, as well as their subcontractors, Carney said.

Carney credited district facilities administrator Mark Finnerty with coordinating all the work with Triton.

“They’ve been working around the clock to get things ready for September,” Carney said. “It’s amazing what was accomplished in two months,” she said.

The capital improvements are funded with $78.3 million in borrowing approved by district voters in October 2011, as well as the district’s capital repair reserve fund and its energy performance contract.