Summer work time for district

RED HOOK - Don't think the commotion has stopped in the Red Hook Central School District simply because the school year has ended.

More than $9 million worth of construction work for the district's buildings has begun. The work will include roof repairs at the high school, middle school and elementary school.

The work is being done as part of a $14.95 million referendum approved by district voters in January 2007. Bids for the project were awarded last month.

"Some of the work is going to occur this year and some of it will be done next year," said Marc Phelan, the district's director of facilities and operations. "Our plan is to have school open in time for the start of the school year. The majority of the work will be completed this summer and there will be some small follow-up work that will occur next year. It won't affect students directly."

According to district officials, the roofs have gone far beyond their life expectancy, contain asbestos and have sections built in the 1950s and 1960s. The district is expected to receive $25,000 to $40,000 a year in energy savings once the project is completed.

Security upgrades planned

The project includes security enhancements that will modify the front entrance of the district's schools so everyone entering the buildings will be funneled through areas that are staffed. State aid is expected to pay for more than 80 percents of the project and the district is using $757,567 in funding from the state's Expanding Our Children's Education and Learning program toward the work.

Construction was supposed to be completed over a three-year period, but the district cut the work time to two years. Superintendent Paul Finch said this is being done to cut any additional costs that could be caused by inflation.

"We're trying to save the taxpayer money," Finch said.

Next summer, the district will do asbestos abatement work at the Mill Road Elementary School, Finch said.