photos by Buonocore Dear Tuckahoe Community, I hope this update finds you enjoying the remaining days of summer with your family. I am pleased to inform you that barring any unforeseen circumstances, our school district will open for all students in grades K-12 on September 5th as planned. Despite a short summer time frame and some unanticipated obstacles, steady progress has been made on the $9,987,000 capital project that was generously approved by our community in April 2018. Below is a construction update on both school buildings: Construction at William E. Cottle School The second story, eight-classroom addition on WEC Elementary School is progressing as expected. The roof is weather-tight, drains have been installed, and the new stairwells are near completion. Work has begun on the exterior walls, and scaffolding will be set up next week. The hallway and eight classrooms below the new construction have new drop ceilings and lighting, and will be thoroughly cleaned and ready for our teachers and students prior to September 5th. Due to the unexpected discovery of an abandoned 5,000 gallon oil tank beneath the ground outside WEC’s original main entrance, the construction of the new security vestibule has been delayed. The oil tank was removed this week, and the soil is being tested for petroleum contamination. Any contaminated soil will be evaluated by the Westchester Department of Health and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to determine what remediation methods, if any, are needed. Once this process is complete, construction of the new security vestibule will resume. A temporary means of emergency egress will be installed at this location by the start of school. We will continue to use the same main entrance security system that was in place for the 2018-19 school year (located at the entrance closest to the gymnasium), until the new vestibule is constructed and fully operational. We expected this portion of the project to be completed by mid-November. The fenced-in portions of the WEC playfield will remain intact throughout the winter to safely enclose construction materials and equipment needed to complete the project. Our staff will be extra diligent when supervising children during outdoor physical education classes and recess periods. There will be limited use of the WEC playfield for school/athletic activities throughout the fall, and Siwanoy Boulevard between Crawford Street and 47 Siwanoy Boulevard will be permanently closed to all traffic beginning on Tuesday, September 3, 2019. Construction at Tuckahoe Middle School/High School As noted in my last update, the turf field replacement project has been completed and passed the sports surface impact test. I am pleased to report that the field is already being used by our student/athletes participating in fall athletic programs. Construction on the new interior security vestibule for the main entrance of the middle/high school building is well underway. Once the customized glass for the vestibule arrives later this fall and is installed, the remainder of the project will be completed. Until then, all previously existing security protocols from the 2018-19 school year will remain in place. Please know that the safety of our students and staff remains our highest priority. We are confident that our project managers and architects have ensured compliance with NYSED’s Guidelines for Successful Supervision of School District Capital Construction Projects. Once school resumes, additional safety precautions such as maintaining a hard barrier between construction and students will be strictly followed. All construction workers will be required to access the work areas through a separate entrance. Heavier work such as crane operation, rigging and the delivery of large construction materials will occur during non-school hours. KG+D Architects and Calgi Construction are scheduled to provide a capital construction project update at the Board of Education meeting on August 26, 2019 at 7:30 pm in the TMS/THS Library. All are welcome to attend. This meeting will also be live streamed and broadcast on the district cable channels. I look forward to welcoming all of our students back to school on September 5th! Very truly yours, Carl L. Albano Superintendent of Schools A regular meeting of the Board of Education is scheduled for Monday, August 26 at 7:30pm in the TMS/THS Library. It will be live streamed from the district website (click on the Live Stream Quick Link at www.tuckahoeschools.org) and broadcast on the district cable channels (Cablevision 77 and FIOS 27). Board of Education agendas, policies and other related documents are available in BoardDocs.
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