Bronxville Superintendent: School Opens & Recovery Updates

Dear Parents,

This letter confirms the opening schedule announced at the Board of Education meeting on September 1st. It is the same as the schedule mailed to you last Friday.

• Wednesday, September 7 (DAY 2 on our six‐day cycle) will be the first day of school for all students in grades 1‐12, with all classes beginning at 10 AM. Kindergarten will not be in session.

• Our main gym and kitchen will not be in service, and it will take some time to replace some key items of equipment and materials.

• We expect to be able to occupy the bottom floor of the old building on September 12, although with reduced supplies and materials. Kindergarten will not be in session.

• On Monday, September 19 Kindergarten students will begin school, and the full K‐12 population will be in session.  

Recovery activities are proceeding. Here is an update:

1. We have an approved emergency egress plan for our brief construction period.  Student and construction zones are separated, and we believe we have complied with all other aspects of school construction requirements.

2. The building is fully handicapped accessible.

3. We continue to dry out, clean, and restore surfaces on the first floor.

4. Dumpsters were removed today. The parking lot is back in service except for a small staging area.

5. The kitchen is not in service, although milk will be available. We are testing all equipment to determine if it is reparable.

6. Our main gym is not in service. We are expediting delivery of wall pads for all gyms and play areas.

7. Air quality testing is being conducted both on the first floor and upper levels.

8. We are cleaning and sanitizing some furniture for temporary use until replacements arrive.

9. An inspection of the roof has identified some needed repairs.

While not yet complete, our recovery has been much more rapid than in 2007.  Our planning and preventive efforts made a difference. Anticipating Irene in late August, we carried out a number of operational steps to protect the School’s assets. We placed large sandbags at entrances. We relocated school vehicles. We moved copy machines and some technology upstairs. Where feasible, we lifted classroom contents and equipment off the floor, placing them at desk level. There were literally thousands of teacher files, texts, and workbooks. We designed these precautions to meet the water level protection standard we set in 2007 (three or four feet, depending on building wing).  In the event, however, the water level exceeded this height, and we lost virtually all instructional supplies and equipment that were below the water level, including the wood gym floor, kitchen equipment, shop equipment, kiln, and the stovetops and refrigerator in the home and careers classroom. Some furniture survived.

Despite the scope of this loss, we benefited from earlier design plans. After the flood of 2007, with the assistance of FEMA, we restored the building with the goal of mitigating future flood events and supporting speedy recovery.  Floor ventilation units on the first floor were moved to the ceiling.  Floors and walls were finished with porcelain tile and waterproof grout. We rebuilt cabinets and shelves with materials that do not absorb water. We relocated our boiler and electrical switchgear in a new addition above the floodplain.  These features have enabled us to bounce back more quickly and minimizeoperational delays. Although other schools in the region experienced extensive loss of power, the Bronxville School never lost power, and other elements of the infrastructure remain intact, including heating and ventilation, fire alarm, phones, and the technology network.

Four years ago we also made some strategic decisions about program location.  The size of our student population and the scope of educational programs did not give us the option of abandoning the vulnerable first floor.  But we moved critical functions upstairs, including orchestra, high school offices, guidance offices, and a music computer lab.  As a result these programs remained untouched, and critical records and expensive equipment were protected.

We have assembled a team of architects, industrial hygienists, construction/recovery specialists, and insurance specialists to guide us in the reconstruction process.  We have included the fire and police departments and other Village officials in our planning.  We are doing everything we can to ensure the building is safe and healthy for all occupants.  Most of all, we look forward to a productive school year.