East Hampton School Board Approves Repair Reserve-Funded Projects

East Hampton Board of Education members have approved the use of $928,496 in repair reserve funds to pay for districtwide renovation and replacement projects.

The plans put forth come after the board approved almost $1 million in repair projects last November, including the upgrading of generators, boilers, dehumidifiers and lobby doors, among other items — many of which Assistant Superintendent for Business Sam Schneider said have been completed.

At a June 6 public hearing, Schneider said additional projects looking to be completed are districtwide radio communication device upgrades, emergency notification system installation, gymnasium lighting replacement and vehicle purchasing, along with several building-specific undertakings across all three schools.

Radio communication devices at all three schools, Schneider said, are anticipated to cost $24,840, and would enhance two-way radio communication between the schools and between the schools and emergency services.

Replacing existing vehicles comes with a $183,200 price tag. This needs to be done, Schneider said, as existing vehicles used in support of district operations are at the end of their repairable use. The plan, he said, is for the district’s auto shop program to use the old vehicles.

Director of Facilities Greg Koelbel, Schneider said, devised a plan that uses in-house staff to replace the gymnasium lighting for $20,520. He said the lights the district will purchase are going to be much brighter in each of the buildings.

The emergency notification system, which is anticipated to cost $52,704, will help automatically send the district into a lockdown or notify of an emergency.

“Obviously, this is being done to keep up our regular maintenance,” said Superintendent of Schools Adam Fine, who added the reserve has been an incredible resource. “You let too many of these things go for too long and you’re then paying for it and buying new things. I think this will help maintain our buildings and facilities.”

In May 2022, voters approved the construction of the repair reserve, which acts as a savings account, and can store $5 million over a 10-year period. It is fueled by the unused funds at the end of each fiscal year, and was holding $1,035,065 as of May 18. The Board of Education also approved Tuesday to roll over an estimated $310,000 unused from this current school year’s budget into the fund. The exact amount will be calculated and added when the budget books are closed in late summer.

To use money, district administration needs to first identify the projects that are needed, before presenting them and the costs involved during a public hearing. After that has been completed, the board votes to authorize the use of the funds, which can only be pulled out of a repair reserve, state law says, when something is decayed, deteriorated, weathers, broken, torn or inoperable. The withdrawal of the money has no direct tax impact.

Additional work at the high school includes duct cleaning, which is projected to total $68,499, univent coil replacement that could cost around $10,800 and ceiling tile replacement that comes with an estimated $16,200 price tag.

“The duct cleaning is a periodic repair that needs to be made,” Schneider said. “We will bring in a company to have them cleaned out to make sure the system continues to operate at an optimal level.”

Board Vice President Christina DeSanti said the work does happen on a regular basis, rotating between schools.

Boundary fencing work, some of which was done with funds pulled out from the repair reserve last year, will also continue, and will cost approximately $51,840. The football storage locker will be swapped out for $7,844 and the junior varsity baseball backstop replaced for $27,000.

“It’s old. It’s rusted. It’s a safety hazard,” Schneider said of the backstops. “It has no overhead coverage, as well.”

Interior and exterior doors and hardware replacement will also happen at the high school and John M. Marshall Elementary School for an anticipated $75,889. The plan also calls for gym divider replacements at the middle and elementary schools, which will cost about $64,800.

At the middle school, univent replacement is anticipated to cost $163,264, and exterior chiller piping insulation replacement work is projected to total $147,337.

“The district is well-served by getting these things done,” Schneider said. “The repairs that we make today don’t become major capital expenditures in the future.”