By JEFF LIPTON
The more than two-year-long process of examining the needs of the Long Beach School District's facilities is drawing to a close.
The school board held a public work session at Long Beach Middle School on Tuesday night to fine-tune recommendations made in a 39-page report by the board-appointed Facilities Advisory Committee (FAC).
The committee began on Sept. 26, 2006, its work of developing recommendations with the goal of restoring, improving and maintaining district facilities, serving “as the springboard toward the development of a master plan and modernization of these buildings and grounds,” according to the report.
“The plan is for the board to present the process — where we are and how we got here,” Superintendent Dr. Robert Greenberg said in a phone interview last Friday.
He said the recommendations will then be presented to the public on Nov. 12, when the board can either approve the master plan or wait until its meeting in December. The hope is for the district to present a referendum to the public in February, the superintendent said.
He said he did not know how many millions of dollars the referendum will be, but major needs must be addressed at all the district's facilities because necessary repairs have been put off for so long.
“This is long overdue,” Greenberg said. “We must have infrastructure improvements. The priority will be to address anything that protects the health and safety of the kids.
“We will also look to improve the quality of our science labs, our arts and music facilities, and we will not ignore the technology in the classrooms,” the superintendent said of the master plan. “There will be no bells or whistles. It's meat and potatoes stuff.”
He said Lindell School, which has scaffolding outside, requires extensive work, and Long Beach Middle School is in desperate need of a new roof.
School board President Patrick Gallagher agreed that the structural problems in many district schools have to be addressed. “We are looking at doing something,” he said. “The district has done nothing over 25 years. The infrastructure has major problems. Something has to happen, whether it's now or two to three years from now.”
He said a top-notch demographer was also brought in to look at future enrollment, which has been on the decline from kindergarten through the 12th grade.
Although security improvements, such as installation of cameras, have taken place since the FAC report was issued, the committee would like to see further security upgrades at all buildings and grounds.
“The FAC's concerns have grown with the recent events that took place at the high school relative to bomb scares and the subsequent outbreak of violence,” the report stated.
Several of the buildings still also require compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the FAC report stated.
WEST SCHOOL
According to the FAC report, the West Elementary School building is in need of significant facility upgrades because of deferred maintenance. Perimeter leaks and stained ceiling tiles indicate that the roof and facade are in need of repair or replacement.
The gym, which also serves as an auditorium, has very limited ventilation. Special program classrooms and instructional rooms are undersized and storage space is very limited. The exterior playground, which is completely blacktopped, requires refurbishment as well.
The FAC recommended a new ventilation system for the multipurpose room as well as appropriate systems for the auditorium such as audio-visual equipment and lighting.
Expanding the West School should be explored, according to the FAC report, including potentially adding to the second floor and constructing a third floor.
The south play area should remain elevated with a new retaining wall. An artificial turf field should be built on the southern end of the play area to accommodate a baseball field and modified soccer/football field. Short-term recommendations include site and sidewalk repairs, classroom door replacement, hardware repairs and upgrades and window screen installation. Resources must be allocated to repair damaged ceilings, paint scaling surfaces, replace cracked ceramic tiles, renumber classrooms in a logical sequence and renovate bathrooms.
LINDELL SCHOOL
The 68-year-old Lindell School requires window replacement, as do the entrance doors on the east side of the building. The heating and portions of the electrical systems are outdated and the baseball field still incurs some drainage problems. The rear roadway is in poor shape and site drywells and roof drains are beyond repair. Under long-term recommendations, the FAC said the windows should be replaced, the bulkhead is in need of repairs, the rear roadway should be repaired and repaved, and the storm drainage systems should be repaired to prevent damage to fields, roads, foundations and basements.
The boilers, controls and piping throughout the building should be completely replaced. A hot water heating system with expanded temperature controls is recommended. Heating and ventilation units throughout the facility will need to be replaced.
The FAC recommends that all upgrades incorporate ADA compliance, including the construction of an elevator.
Lindell School's short-term recommendations include site and sidewalk repairs, classroom door repairs and bathroom upgrades. Resources must be allocated to repair damaged ceilings, paint scaling surfaces, repair water damaged walls and replace flooring.
LIDO SCHOOL
Lido School’s heating pipes and controls in the building’s pipe tunnels are in very poor shape, the FAC report stated. Most room thermostats do not function, air handling units are beyond life expectancy, and unit ventilators are starting to fail sporadically.
In addition, the roof is more than 30 years old and has numerous leaks that are beyond repair, and the building’s structure and façade have several visible cracks. In several corridors and classrooms the floor has sunk, significantly throwing off line some doors and cabinets, and creating cracks in the walls. The exterior kindergarten space is outdated and somewhat run down.
Additional space is required for physical and occupational therapy. Administrative and support space is lacking as is sufficient storage space, and the size and configuration of the health office make if difficult to meet the needs of the students and staff. The gym is small and several educational spaces are not present in Lido, so the facilities in Long Beach Middle School are utilized.
Under long-term recommendations, the FAC report said the entire heating system should be addressed as one package to include new boilers, distribution piping, controls, air handlers and about 20 unit ventilators. To accommodate future growth and technology, the electrical infrastructure must be upgraded with more capacity and additional circuit panels. The sinking floors should be corrected before they become worse, the report said.
A project team should explore all options to expand Lido school, with the appropriate health offices and storage as the most apparent needs.
Among the short-term recommendations is the immediate replacement of the roof, which can no longer be repaired because too many leaks are present. Other immediate improvements may include classroom door replacement, hardware and lock repairs, library lighting upgrades, storm drain repairs, and ceiling and flooring improvements. A short-term capital improvement plan is recommended for classroom ceiling replacements, bathroom upgrades, new doors, fire alarm system upgrades, new playground equipment, exterior masonry repairs, as well as sidewalk and asphalt repairs.
Part two of this series will address proposals for the middle school, high school and the administration buildings.
