Archive: News

Anyone who participates in summer programs in Lansing knows the school buildings and the pool were closed for a major capital project this summer.  The $3,033,054 Building Core Reconstruction (BCR) capital project will be close enough to completion that Superintendent Chris Pettograsso said Monday that students will be able to come to school on schedule next Friday.

"We're moving along on budget," Pettograsso said.  "We're hoping all the classrooms will be complete by the start of school.

Two areas will not be done on time for school.  The technology building behind Lansing Middle School is undergoing major renovation that is not expected to be completed until December or January.  That is a planned phase of the project, so alternate locations were part of the plan from the beginning.  More problematic is the delay in reopening the high school swimming pool.

The girls swim team typically begins practice before the school year.  They have been bussing to the Ithaca Swim Club, and will continue practices at Ithaca College while waiting for the home pool to reopen.  Pettograsso said the pool is not likely to be finished until October 1st, due to contractor delays in beginning the project.  She said it takes 14 days for grout to dry before the pool can be filled.  Because completion dates were part of the contract the contractor has to pay for bussing and other expenses to do with alternate accommodations.

Pettograsso says the rest of the renovations are on schedule.  In the elementary school that includes replacing the ramp at the main elementary school entrance, sealing building cracks, adding rails to a corridor ramp, replacing door knobs with accessible lever-style handles, and make some general repairs to carpet and deteriorating building elements.

In the middle school repairs were made to a historic wooden entry canopy, and windows, floor tile and stair treads were replaced.  Rusting steel columns, damaged glass brick will be repaired, and the gym floor will be refinished and restriped.  Lockers from as far back as 1929 and 1952 were replaced on the second floor.

In the high school repairs to the sidewalk and a retaining wall at the main entrance were made, track and jump pits resurfaced, upper exterior building panels, column caps and other exterior elements repaired, tempered glass safety panels are being added to the pool gallery railings, locker room showers were retiled, damaged doors repaired, and repairs are in progress to the pool deck.

For many years the discussion about the Tech Building has revolved around whether the deteriorating building should be demolished or renovated.  Phase two of the BCR Project will make repairs to masonry, and replace the roof, doors and windows.  A bathroom will be made accessible, and a door added to a firewall to bring it up to code and actually function in case of fire.  The building will house the Project Lead The Way 'Dirty Lab,' an art classroom/studio, a workroom and storage for theater scenery, costumes, and equipment, and technology equipment storage.

"Some of the improvements are really nice," said Board Of Education president Glenn Swanson.  "We got rid of carpets in the high school which were the cause of allergies for students.  They've been replaced with tile.  We got rid of all the asbestos in the middle school, so there are a lot of benefits from the health perspective.  And the pool will have handicap access as well."

Teachers and staff come back Wednesday.  Students K-9 will start school Friday with the rest starting the following Monday.  Pettograsso warned that parents should be aware of new traffic patterns for dropping off and picking up students.

The Learning, Health and Safety capital project was implemented in 2011. The BCR project was the next step in a five year plan that addresses a total of $11 million in capital improvements through the 2015-2016 school year.

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