Middle School teachers are forced to hold classes in former storage rooms. Music classes in hallways. High school science labs that don't even work.
These were just some of the situations Riverhead schools officials highlighted -- through a slide show and video presentation -- in pitching a proposed $122.9 million district-wide expansion and renovation project Tuesday night.
"We have seven beautiful buildings that have been neglected over the years," Superintendent Diane Scricca told a crowd of about 150 in the high school auditorium. While other buildings in Riverhead, including the hospital, the library, the fire department and the courts, have either expanded or built anew, the schools have not, she said, despite the fact that enrollment has grown over the past 20 years.
The presentation also highlighted problems at the Riley Avenue elementary school, where three student support groups are held on a stage in front of the cafeteria while students eat lunch.
The entire third grade at the Phillips Avenue elementary school is taught in portable, modular classrooms that were originally meant to be temporary. This means that if the school were ever put in lockdown during an emergency, these students would instead be "locked out" of the main building.
The high school graduating class of 1986 had 176 students, while the graduating class of 2009 had 337 students, despite a more recent decline in enrollment, Dr. Scricca noted.
The presentation, which also included an outline of how the district-wide overhaul would be paid for, lasted about 90 minutes
And feedback from the public was almost entirely positive.
"I think this is a great plan," resident Laura Wells said. "I'm sorry my kids aren't going to benefit from it."
"I applaud the board," said resident Thaddaeus Hill. "I think the project overall is phenomenal."
"This is long overdue," former board member Brian Stark said.
He also cautioned that while the people at Tuesday's meeting spoke in support of the proposal, it's the people who weren't there who will criticize it.
The issue is expected to be put to a referendum in February.
There are no new buildings proposed, but expansions to existing buildings would cost an estimated $90.2 million, officials said. All modulars would be replaced by regular classrooms connected to the main schools, except for new modulars at the high school, which would be connected to the school and would house the Star Academy. Currently, only the Riley Avenue and Aquebogue schools do not use modulars.
The plan calls for expansions to all the district school buildings except the Roanoke Avenue school, which would be renovated and become an administrative office. Another main component is to re-align the grades so that students will have to switch buildings only three times, instead of four, during their 12 years.
Currently, the Roanoke, Riley Avenue, Phillips Avenue and Aquebogue schools teach grades k-4, while all fifth and sixth graders go the Pulaski Street school, all seventh and eighth graders go to the Middle School and all students in grades 9-12 go to the high school.
The proposed switch would now make Riley Avenue, Phillips Avenue, Pulaski Street and Aquebogue into grade K-5 buildings, the Middle School would handle grades 6-8, and the high school grades 9-12, with Roanoke no longer being used as a school.
"This would minimize the type of movements that can traumatize students at this age," Dr. Scricca said.
Roanoke Avenue, which was built in the 1920s, has classrooms 33 percent smaller than what new ones are required to be, and its campus doesn't have enough room to expand the building, Dr. Scricca said.
Infrastructure improvements and renovations to existing buildings would cost about $22.8 million, officials said. These include such items as roof repairs on several of the buildings, ventilation upgrades and maintenance work that has been put off for years.
Also proposed is a reconstruction of the athletic fields, which would see the football field moved to the area just south of the tennis courts and west of the high school track, the administrative office demolished and additional fields built. The new football field would be artificial turf, and a new concession stand and bleachers would be built, under the proposal.
About $2.3 million in renovation is also proposed for the bus garage.
Officials say now is the time to approve a $122.9 million bond issue, because interest rates are low and construction costs also will be lower because of the slow economy.
"We can wait to build when things get better, but it will cost more," said board member Tim Griffing.
In addition, officials say all the district's existing debt will be paid off by 2018, so the impact of the new debt associated with the proposed expansion will be lessened.
The amount of debt paid each year per district household as a result of the proposed $122.9 million bond would start out low, at an additional $56 in 2010, and peak at $236 per year from 2014 to 2018. After that, it would be $208 or $209 per year each year from 2019 through 2030, according to district figures. Riverhead residents right now pay about $56 in debt service per household each year.
tgannon@timesreview.com