Construction Updates

Capital Project

Thanks to the support of the Eastport-South Manor community, the School District has begun a $89.9 million dollar capital project that will see improvements to classrooms and infrastructure that will make ESM the crown jewel of school on Long Island.

Passed in a community vote on February 2, 2022, ESM has contracted with H2M, as our architectural, firm to design upgrades to all five of the District’s buildings. There will be STEAM classrooms added at the four elementary school buildings with new and improved inclusive playgrounds. Outdoor learning spaces will also be added with Maker Space learning areas in each Library, revamped art rooms and mechanical upgrades to HVAC systems, too.

The plan calls for a redesign to the Jr-Sr High School Library while including the addition of a student-run café and a completely redesigned and expanded physical education space. The revamped athletic/educational space will have a new wrestling room, weight training room, and a dance center with new and improved locker rooms. There will also be expansions and improvements to art and music spaces, security improvements at the main entrance and Special Education classroom labs for life skills students.

On the grounds at the Jr-Sr High School the plan calls for adding two new all-purpose turf fields, a turf baseball and softball field that will include new dugouts, bullpens, batting cages and stadium seating. All of which will include lights to expand playing time for our community youth teams. The plan also calls for adding an all-purpose turf field and a new full-sized competitive track at Dayton Avenue Elementary School, which will be dedicated to Junior High School athletics.

The capital work will also address much needed mechanical repairs at the Jr-Sr High School including a new metal roof, repairs to the HVAC dual pipe system and the repaving of the roadways and parking lots at the building.

All five ESMs building will also see new security guard booths with redesigned entrance and exits.

The School District has contracted with Park East Construction as its construction manager for the project. While planning for construction began in the summer of 2022, field and building work will begin in the summer of 2023 and will continue into 2025.

EPC

In an effort to take advantage of its large parking lots and open roofs, the Eastport-South Manor School District has launched a green energy project that will greatly reduce its energy costs while also providing sorely needed upgrades to its HVAC system.

The project, better known as an Energy Performance Contract (EPC), calls for the construction of solar carports and/or rooftop solar panels at all five of the District schools as well as lighting upgrades, energy efficient pipe and valve insulations and new weatherization. ESM has contracted with Johnson Controls Inc. to construct the project. Park East Construction is the construction manager for this project as well.

The solar panels will be the most visible part of the upgrades. They will produce electricity that will partially offset ESM’s electric bill. The District will also see interior and exterior lights replaced with state-of-the-art LED lights and fixtures that be significantly more efficient than the current lighting units that are in some areas comprised of decades old technology. The improved insultations and weatherization will also decrease energy needs.

The savings from this effort will be put towards purchasing two new chillers (air conditioners) at the Jr-Sr HS. The net impact to the budget is expected to reduce costs by more than a half million dollars a year. Construction is underway at all five buildings and is expected to be completed in late 2024. When finished, the project will be the second largest school district-owned solar project in New York State.