Video: What’s new at Riverhead’s high school and middle school this fall

The halls of both the high school and middle school are buzzing with activity and excitement in the last days of summer as construction workers put the finishing touches on new additions and extensive renovations to both buildings, while maintenance crews clean and polish, teachers and staff unpack and set up and wide-eyed students arrive for orientation sessions.

“It’s a very exciting time,” Superintendent Nancy Carney said as she led a tour of the two buildings, where students will be greeted with some pretty dramatic changes.

The high school has a new front entry — a glass atrium where visitors will check in at a window and obtain a visitor’s pass to gain entry through a second set of glass doors into the two-story addition.

The two-story addition to the high school houses 15 new classrooms, four brand-new, state-of-the-art science labs and offices. The guidance department has offices for each of the high school’s guidance counselors and school psychologists.

Spacious new lockers line the halls of both the new wing and the original building. Ceiling tiles and light fixtures have been replaced throughout — a process begun last year — and classrooms have gotten makeovers that include new furniture and cabinetry.

New family and consumer science classrooms have been built opposite the cafeteria kitchen in the high school. Two brand new, fully outfitted family and consumer science classrooms were added to the middle school as well, where a building addition includes spacious new music rooms.

Teachers throughout both buildings were excitedly unpacking their classrooms, where cardboard boxes containing supplies and equipment were piled on counters, desks and floors.

“Overwhelming,” was a word heard frequently from teachers asked to describe what they thought about everything.

“Overwhelming but very exciting,” said Stephanie Bonfe, an English as a New Language teacher at the high school. “Everything is beautiful.”

“It’s a great way to start the new year,” said eighth grade science teacher David Leone, as he unpacked his newly renovated classroom at the middle school. “It’s very empowering.”

The middle school got its third elevator this summer, too, principal Andrea Pekar said. Each of the school’s three wings needed an elevator because the second floors are not connected, she explained. “Now we’re finally fully ADA compliant.”

The expansions allow the district to remove portable classrooms on the main campus, though the north portables will remain in place at the high school for use as a special academy for newcomers from other countries. Another portable building will remain in place for use by the office of pupil personnel services. Portables at the middel school will be removed and the area will be incorporated into the athletic complex, which will include a new turf multipurpose field. The field will be built after the district’s bus barn is vacated and razed. The new transportation facility on Edwards Avenue will be ready for occupancy by September 2017, Carney said.

Mike McKillop Memorial Field got new sod, an irrigation system and new bleachers this summer. The district also purchased a mobile concession stand.

Roanoke and Pulaski Street schools saw their share of renovations this summer as well.

“There was a lot of infrastructure work to be done at both buildings,” Carney said.

Roanoke Elementary has a new cafeteria and renovated bathrooms. Work on a new library will be completed by December, Carney said. Pulaski has four new classrooms. Both of those buildings will undergo substantial renovations next summer.

Carney, now in her sixth year a Riverhead schools superintendent, has overseen implementation of the district’s massive $78.3 million capital improvement program, aimed at expanding the district’s aging facilities, making long-deferred structural repairs and upgrades, improving energy efficiency, and bringing the facilities into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility regulations. BBS Architects and Engineers of Patchogue are the district’s architects on the project.

Work was completed at Aquebogue, Phillips and Riley Avenue elementary schools last summer. The first phase of construction got underway at the high school last summer as well.

RiverheadLOCAL photos by Denise Civiletti. Video by Courtney Blasl.