Updates

November 19, 2024: Please be advised that the William O. Schaefer Elementary School and Cottage Lane Elementary School campuses will be closed this Saturday, November 23, for staging and placement of HVAC equipment on the school roofs via crane. This equipment is being placed in preparation for Summer 2025 construction.

Crane lifts at both buildings will begin at 7AM; work is expected to be completed by 3PM.

To protect the safety of our community members and the construction teams, the fields, playgrounds, driveways and parking lots will be closed to the public. Security will be onsite to enforce the closures during the lift operation and local law enforcement has been informed.

We apologize for the disruption to our neighbors and are making every effort to ensure that this next step in our Capital Improvements Project construction is safe, efficient and successful.

July 25, 2024: William O. Schaefer Elementary School and Cottage Lane Elementary School campuses are closed, effective this evening, for staging and placement of HVAC equipment.

On Saturday, July 27, a construction helicopter will lift and place heavy equipment on the roofs of both buildings. Work will begin at 7AM at WOS. Once units have been placed, the helicopter will move to CLE. The operation is expected to last 1-2 hours at each location.

To protect the safety of our community members and the construction teams, the fields, playgrounds, driveways and parking lots will be closed to the public. Security will be onsite to enforce the closures during the lift operation and local law enforcement has been informed. Both campuses will reopen Tuesday, July 30.

June 20, 2024: SOCSD is excited to break ground on our district-wide Capital Improvements Project this summer–with work scheduled at all four schools!

To accommodate construction, all summer enrichment programs will be held at Tappan Zee High School. In addition, please be advised of the following safety restrictions on building and grounds access:

William O. Schaefer Elementary School

• WOS will be closed for the summer, starting at 2PM on Wednesday, June 26.
  • WOS main office staff will be relocated for the summer, but will maintain access to their phone extensions and email. Should WOS families need to physically drop off materials, materials may be delivered to the District Offices, 160 Van Wyck Road, Blauvelt between 9:00AM and 3:00PM weekdays after Monday, July 15.
• Asbestos abatement will be conducted Monday, July 8 – Friday, July 12. In compliance with legal requirements, signage will be posted at building entrances while this work is in progress and strict adherence to all safety protocols will be closely monitored.
• When accessing school grounds/playgrounds, the public is advised to use caution and steer clear of fenced-off areas and equipment, as various areas, including the parking lot, will be under construction.
  • School grounds will be closed completely Wednesday, July 24 through Tuesday, July 30 as equipment is placed on the roof.

Cottage Lane Elementary School

• CLE will be closed for the summer, starting at 2PM on Wednesday, June 26.
  • CLE main office staff will be relocated for the summer, but will maintain access to their phone extensions and email. Should WOS families need to physically drop off materials, materials may be delivered to the District Offices, 160 Van Wyck Road, Blauvelt between 9:00AM and 3:00PM weekdays after Monday, July 15.
• When accessing school grounds/playground, the public is advised to use caution and steer clear of fenced-off areas and equipment, as various areas, including the parking lot, will be under construction.

South Orangetown Middle School

• SOMS will be closed for asbestos abatement Monday, July 8 – Friday, July 12. In compliance with legal requirements, signage will be posted at building entrances while this work is in progress and strict adherence to all safety protocols will be closely monitored.
  • SOMS main office staff will be relocated for the duration of asbestos abatement, but will maintain access to their phone extensions and email.
• The public is advised to use caution when accessing school grounds/playgrounds and steer clear of fenced-off areas and equipment, as various areas will be under construction.

Tappan Zee High School

• TZHS will be closed for asbestos abatement Monday, July 29 through Friday, August 2. In compliance with legal requirements, signage will be posted at building entrances while this work is in progress and strict adherence to all safety protocols will be closely monitored.
  • TZHS main office staff will be relocated for the duration of asbestos abatement, but will maintain access to their phone extensions and email.
• The public is advised to use caution when accessing school grounds and steer clear of fenced-off areas and equipment, as various areas will be under construction.

Summer 2024 Construction Scope

(Phase 1, Year 1 of 2)

WOS
• Renovation of 16 classrooms
• Replacement of HVAC system
• Renovation of the school nurse’s office
• Renovation of the English as a New Language suite
• Installation of upgraded clocks/public address/lockdown system

CLE
• Redesign of the main entrance and security station
• Renovation of the music classroom
• Creation of an outdoor fi tness path
• Installation of upgraded clocks/public address/lockdown system

ALL SCHOOLS
• Installation of outdoor classrooms
• In addition, there will be additional minor capital work at SOMS and TZHS

October 2, 2023: Plans for Phase 2 (Tappan Zee High School) were submitted to the New York State Education Department for review on September 29.

August 25, 2023: The New York State Education Department has approved Phase I construction for the Capital Improvements Bond Project. Bidding will open this fall, with work anticipated to begin in Spring 2024 at William O. Schaefer Elementary School and Cottage Lane Elementary School during the second shift (after school hours). Phase II (Tappan Zee High School) will be submitted for NYSED review this fall.

Background

Thanks to strong support from the South Orangetown community, the District’s Capital Improvements Bond passed with 66% of the vote on March 8, 2022. This project is the culmination of a multi-year, long-range master capital planning effort which included a district-wide Building Conditions Survey, extensive building-level conversations with staff, meetings with architects and detailed facilities tours and discussions. On December 9, 2021, our Board of Education unanimously approved the District’s proposed Capital Improvements Bond to address essential infrastructure for student health, safety and success.

SCOPE: To address prioritized needs, the Capital Improvements Bond project scope includes:

• District-Wide Classroom Renovations, including new HVAC and control systems, upgrades to lighting, ceilings, flooring, casework and plumbing, additional electrical and data outlets and security enhancements
• CLE Main Entrance Security Redesign
• TZHS Auditorium Renovation
• Development of Outdoor Classrooms (all schools)
• Creation of Fitness Paths at CLE and SOMS
• SOMS Upper Grass Field Renovation

COST: The total project budget totals $49,932,000. However, the use of $18,000,000 in existing capital reserve funds will offset costs, resulting in a total bond amount of $31,932,000.

TIMELINE: Construction will begin in Summer 2023 (pending NYSED approval) and be completed by Fall 2027.

Keep up with Capital Improvements Bond project progress (#SOCSDbond) by following the District’s Facebook and Instagram feeds.