School Board Unveils Redding Elementary Renovations

Members of the Redding Board of Education took at tour of a newly renovated during the school board's inaugural meeting of the 2011-2012 academic year, held Tuesday night.

From a new gymnasium to new ceilings to new climate control technology and more, the school got quite the facelift over the summer.

“Our main concern was ventilation,” Principal Stephanie Pierson-Ugol said as the tour began in the kindergarten wing. “Now we also have air conditioning in here.”

Chris Nolan, a Redding resident, explained the changes made to the kindergartners' designated wing. The renovations — which started two years ago, according to Dr. Jess Gaspar, chairman of the school board — have resulted in a state-of-the art learning environment for RES students.

“This wing was initially set up with ducted air,” Nolan explained. “I’m sure that everyone knows that electric heat is the most expensive way to heat."

The ducted air and electric heat have been replaced with carbon dioxide monitors that allow the ability for fresh air to control the ventilation in the room, Nolan said. This leaves young learners with the opportunity to remain more alert during school hours.

“We went to digital controls for this entire building,” Nolan said. “Each classroom has its own independent [carbon dioxide] monitor."

Now the temperature of the classrooms will be controlled from a computer system, according to Nolan.

Other changes to the kindergarten wing includ leveling floors and installing non-slip tiles, according to Pierson-Ugol.

Changes to the were approved in the spring. Kindergartners will now attend school four full days, as opposed to two, Gaspar said.

As the group made their way down the halls, Pierson-Ugol pointed out further changes. Each wing in the building now has a new accent color that has been added to tiles in the hallways. This could be helpful during coming days of school when students are trying to find their assigned classrooms, she said.

Asbestos was abated from the ceilings of the top and bottom floors of the school — and it was a task that was more challenging than other asbestos removals have been for the volunteers, Pierson-Ugol said. The asbestos was embedded in plaster and surrounded crucial wires in the ceilings. This resulted in the complete removal of both ceilings.

“There was one night when the workers stayed 'til 5 a.m. in order to meet their deadline,” Pierson-Ugol said.

Teachers have raved about the cleanliness and brightness of the building after all of the hard work was done, according to Pierson-Ugol. It is now not only a spruced up environment for all that use it, but a healthier one, she said.

For example, the section of the building dating to 1957, right down the hall from one of the updated classrooms, also had all of its windows replaced.

“It has made a huge difference in our ability to control temperature in the classrooms,” Pierson-Ugol said.

The new RES gym includes a floor that has a recycled tire mat underneath it, according to , who oversaw the renovations. The mat gives the floor a cushion that will protect young athletes from bruises and broken bones.

“It’s probably the optimal gymnasium floor for children,” he said.

The floor will be able to handle multi-purpose events, according to D’Agostino. Chairs can be placed on it and will cause temporary dimpling, but will go back to its original form after the chairs have been removed.

“It’s kind of like a Tempur-Pedic,” said Kathleen Joyce-Kirk, a member of the school board.  

D'Agostino talked about new frosting that was painted on the gym's windows to resemble clouds and said the school's mascot — a raccoon — will soon be painted on the gym's floor.

The final area the school board toured — girls and boys bathrooms dating back to 1948 which were renovated — was something Gaspar said he was proud to see.

“These needed to be done,” he said. “If you saw them before they were done, some of them were just disgusting.”

Other changes throughout the building include an air-conditioned cafeteria, new book shelves and carpeting in the library and renovated bathrooms throughout the entire school. The renovations will result in $60,000 in energy savings, according to D’Agostino. The rebate that the BOE will receive from CL&P is estimated to be around $100,000, according to Peggy Sullivan, the district's director of finances and operations.

“Just a month ago, [RES] was a construction site,” . “It’s amazing to see the transformation.”