Building Project Update

For more information on the Middle School Expansion/District Site Improvement plan, please click here.

Fall 2006 - Nearing Completion

The District is pleased to announce that the capital improvement projects at
the High School and Elementary School included in the $30.8 million bond approved by residents in November 2003 are approaching 100% completion.

Members of the Westhampton Beach community proudly gathered at the Elementary School on Friday, October 6 to participate in a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Richard W. Brubaker Wing. The new wing includes nine new fourth and fifth grade tech-smart classrooms that provide students with a wireless Internet environment and the latest in educational technology such as SmartBoards.

Work completed at the High School includes the construction of a new techsmart 15-classroom wing. The High School now boasts an entirely wireless
environment for students and staff that has provided a myriad of new educational opportunities across all curriculum areas. Interior reconstruction has also taken place that has resulted in additional space for art and music, computer labs, the T.V. studio, and office areas such as guidance and student services. Work on the new auditorium continues to progress as scheduled, with completion slated for January 2007.

In addition to the projects completed as part of the capital improvement
bond, extensive work was completed in the High School gymnasium, with new
flooring, bleachers, padding, and banners installed. New field lighting has
also been installed on the athletic fields, which has allowed teams such as
football and soccer to participate in evening games.

For more information on the capital improvement project, residents are
encouraged to attend the District’s Board of Education meetings, look for
updates in future editions of The Cupola.

Winter 2005 - Laying the Foundation

Since the last report, significant progress has been made on the $30.8 million capital improvement project approved by the residents in November 2003. The work to be done at the High School calls for the addition of 15 classrooms, large-group instruction spaces and interior reconstruction that will result in additional space for art, music, and technology, a new T.V. studio, and enhanced office areas such as guidance and student services. The project also calls for nine new classroom spaces to be built at the Elementary School.

At the High School, the masonry work for the exterior envelope continues, and will be completed over the next few weeks. The windows have arrived and will be installed soon. The heating units will arrive in the next few weeks, and the roof work continues on schedule. The casework for the cabinets and tables in the science labs is completed. All of the rough plumbing is nearing completion, and the interior finishes and painting is scheduled for March 1.

The steel construction for the High School’s eight hundred seat auditorium is complete, and the masonry work is in progress for the exterior block wall. The roof installation is about to begin, as well. New electrical service to the building and parking lot is now online and operational. The new boiler work and installation is complete, allowing for duel-fuel capability. Gas is the primary fuel, but oil may now be accessed.

The foundation work at the Elementary School is complete and the steel erection work is about to commence for the 9 new classrooms. Once the steel arrives and is installed, the masonry work will begin. The former sanitary system has been removed and the new sanitary system is operational. The mechanical, electrical and plumbing upgrades are underway in order to support the new addition.

For more information on the capital improvement project, residents are encouraged to attend the District’s Board of Education meetings, to look for updates in the District’s newsletter, the Cupola, and to continue checking the District’s website. Progress can be viewed in realtime on the Internet via the District’s webcam. This can be accessed by entering the URL http://167.206.69.61/ into your web browser (i.e., Internet Explorer, Mozilla, Netscape, etc.)

Fall 2005 - Considerable Progress Made

Since breaking ground in June, considerable progress has been made on the work included in the $30.8 million capital improvement bond approved by residents in November 2003. These projects are designed to add classroom space for an anticipated increase in student enrollment over the next several years and to update and enhance the District’s existing facilities.

The capital improvement project calls for the addition of 15 classrooms, an 800-seat auditorium, large-group instruction spaces, interior reconstructions (that will result in additional space for art and music, computer labs, the T.V. studio, and office areas such as guidance and student services), and upgrades to mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems at the High School. Construction of the High School classroom addition is currently underway, with the foundation work complete. Two new boilers are being installed and ongoing electrical work is in progress. The footings and foundation walls of the new auditorium are under construction and are approximately 50% complete.

Since awarding bids in late August for the projects to be completed at the Elementary School, work has progressed quickly. To date, temporary fencing has been constructed, most of the drainage pools have been installed, and a permit to remove the old sanitary system and install the new system has been received. The construction management team will oversee the remaining site requirements, and once this is complete, the excavation on the classroom addition will begin. Work to be completed at the Elementary School as part of the capital improvement project includes the addition of nine classrooms as well as upgraded mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems.

Occupancy in the classroom additions for both schools is on schedule for September 2006. The auditorium is also on schedule to be completed by January 2007. For more information on the capital improvement project, residents are encouraged to attend the District’s Board of Education meetings, look for updates in the district’s newsletter, The Cupola, and to continue checking the district's website. Progress can be viewed in realtime on the Internet via the district’s webcam. This can be accessed by entering the URL http://167.206.69.61/ into your web browser (i.e., Internet Explorer, Mozilla, Netscape, etc.).

Summer 2005 - High School Breaks Ground

A groundbreaking ceremony was held in June to mark the commencement of construction at the High School as part of a District-wide capital improvement project. Since work at the High School began, construction has progressed steadily and the project remains on schedule and on budget. The classroom additions at both the elementary school and the high school are scheduled for completion by September, 2006 and the auditorium should be completed by January, 2007.

Work to be completed at the High School includes the addition of 15 classrooms, an 800-seat auditorium, large group instruction spaces, interior reconstructions (that will result in additional space for art and music, computer labs, the T.V. studio, and office areas such as guidance and student services), and upgrades to mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems. Basement renovations are currently in progress and site work for the foundation of the classroom additions has begun. Underground gas and electric systems have also been relocated and the performing boiler replacements have been installed. Excavation for the auditorium is expected to begin in the fall.

At the Elementary School, work to the completed as part of the capital improvement project includes the addition of nine classrooms as well as upgraded mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems. Plans for the Elementary School work were submitted to the State Education Department (SED) for review and the District received approval in late July. The bids were opened on August 18th and work will commence immediately following the bid awards.

These projects are part of a $30.8 million capital improvement bond approved by residents in November 2003 that was designed to add classroom space for an anticipated increase in student enrollment over the next several years and to update and enhance our existing facilities. Residents are encouraged to attend the district's Board of Education Meetings, visit the Building Project Update pates of the district website at www.westhamptonbeach.k12.ny.us and to look for updates in future issues of The Cupola to stay up-to-date on the progress being made.

Spring 2005

Significant progress continues to be made on the pre-construction planning efforts of the capital improvement projects included in the $30.8 million bond approved by residents in November 2003.

The architectural firm of Burton, Behrendt and Smith (BBS) has completed and submitted the plans for the work to be completed at the High School to the State Education Department (SED) for review. BBS is currently engaged in a dialogue with the SED to ensure the plans meet with the state's guidelines. This question-and-answer exchange is a routine component of the pre-construction process designed to ensure sound architectural and mechanical plans. The High School project is scheduled to be put out to bid in late March or early April. Once the bids have been received, they will be reviewed by the Board of Education, administration, and BBS before the contract is awarded. BBS is currently developing plans for the work to be completed at the Elementary School in anticipation of submitting them to the SED for review in late April or early May.

Residents may learn more about the progress of the bond projects by attending the district's Board of Education meetings, visiting the Building Project Update page of the district web site, or by looking for updates in future issues of The Cupola.

Fall 2004

BBS architects and district administrators are working to submit plans to the State Education Department after winning the approval of a $30.8 million bond last November. Since this spring, architects, administrators, faculty, and staff from both the High School and Elementary School have met to develop plans for the proposed additions and renovations to the schools. One of the many results from these meetings is the installation of a college and career center and the redesign of the T.V. studio in the High School. Meanwhile, the hired construction company (Triton Construction) conducted property surveys, which will help facilitate the construction process.

The project is progressing as expected and construction on the new classrooms for both schools should be completed on time in 2006.

The $30.8 million bond passed last November will be used to make necessary renovations and additions to the High School and Elementary School in order to accomodate expected student growth.

Westhampton Beach School District includes students from the following sending districts: East Moriches, East Quogue, Quogue, and Remsenburg-Speonk. Our school district has signed tuition contracts with our sending schools to ensure enrollment minimums.

The contract is valid for five years (through 2008) and can be extended on an annual basis by mutual agreement. Westhampton Beach's high school population is currently 858 students and is expected to grow to approximately 1,000 by 2008.

Construction to the High School includes adding 15 new classrooms, an 800-seat auditorium, large group instruction spaces, and interior reconstructions. Interior reconstructions will create more space for art and music, computer labs, the T.V. studio, and office areas such as guidance and student services. Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems will be upgraded to ensure additions are properly supported. The Elementary School will have nine new rooms and upgraded mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems.

The plans are nearing submittal to the State Education Department as designs are finalized and construction documents are completed. The anticipated timeline for submission is early November for the High School and early December for the Elementary School. The plans for the auditorium will be submitted with the high school's plans. The State Education Department will then review the plans and make comments if necessary. The state will issue building licenses once they approve the plans.

Construction is scheduled to begin late spring 2005 on the High School and early July 2005 for the Elementary School. Completion of the auditorium is scheduled for early January 2007.