GW portables expected to reopen this fall

The portable classrooms at the George Washington School are as good as new — better, even — and there’s little, if any, indication that they had been burned nearly to the ground just last summer.

In the months since two teenage boys set fire to the West Hempstead grammar school classrooms the night of Aug. 9, 2010, the school district has worked to rebuild and upgrade them. Superintendent John Hogan expects them to be open and ready for use by the start of school in September.

“That night in August was a very tragic night for all of us,” said Hogan, who suffered a heart attack while watching the building burn and had to be revived at the scene. “I didn’t see the conclusion of that particular evening because I became ill, but to stand there as superintendent and watch part of your building burn was an experience I hope never to relive. We all remain grateful that nobody was hurt, that there were no injuries, there was no loss of life that evening. … Now you go over there and you see something that’s totally restored and brand new and it’s just wonderful to see.”

A new roof sits atop the portables now. They have a new brick veneer facade and new windows and doors. The classrooms have an upgraded electrical system and new lighting. There’s a new public address system and fire and burglary alarms.

“From floor to ceiling, it’s all new,” said Jeff Banfield, the district’s director of facilities. “It actually is a safer and better building now, but there was a lot of stress — a lot of stuff went on to get it back to this point.”

After the fire, it was determined that the building’s foundation could remain standing, but that it would have to be completely gutted. So while the structure is original — the same one that had first been placed there in the 1960s — the walls and floors inside are new.

Banfield said many people were involved in the cleanup and reconstruction efforts that followed the fire. The rebuilding project was done in phases by different contractors and, with the exception of several delays, went smoothly. As of press time, Banfield said the reconstruction was about 90 percent completed.

The reconstruction, which costs slightly more than $1 million, was covered entirely by insurance, according to Hogan.

The three portable classrooms, which had been first-grade classrooms for some 60 students prior to the blaze, will be used as art, music and science classrooms, equipped with smart boards. There will also be a small office space for support staff.

“It looks great,” Hogan said. “Everybody did a great job, so, we’re excited.”