9/13/2023 Facilities Project Plans

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September 13, 2023

Dear TUFSD Community Members and Staff,

The start of the academic year marked the beginning of my third month as Superintendent of Schools – a period of time that I would categorize as a conscientious and thorough learning process. As some may already know, I grew up in Tarrytown and the community is very familiar to me. Even with this familiarity, I am purposefully taking the time to immerse myself in the history, culture, practices, and individuals that comprise this wonderful district.

One of the things that is most obvious to me is the need to address various infrastructure concerns throughout our school buildings. During the summer break, the process of conceptual planning to improve our school facilities advanced. This month, we are unveiling a project that will help us enhance the learning environment for our students, aligned with the ever-evolving needs of our educational community.

The State is extremely generous in support of the renovation and expansion of school facilities by providing significant cost reimbursement for projects. To provide the next generation of Horsemen students with the facilities they deserve, we need to consider taking advantage of this State Aid.

Please read more about our plan below to discover the exciting details of how we're looking to shape the future of our school facilities.

Thanks for your time and your continued support of the Public Schools of the Tarrytowns.

Sincerely,

Dr. Ray Sanchez

1. Our facilities face challenges and are impacting our ability to be innovative and provide a healthy and motivating learning environment, especially at the elementary level
2. Past investments focused on the middle school and high school to address increased enrollment, and as a result the infrastructure at our elementary schools is antiquated and continues to age
3. Overcrowding at WI and Morse continues to be a problem

• Classrooms were split to accommodate full-day Pre-K resulting in below standard classroom sizes and loss of space
• Student support services like Speech and ENL have been carved out of standard classrooms resulting in loss of general classroom space and small special education classrooms
• Offices, including the school psychologist and social worker's office, are in spaces half the size of what they should be
• Modulars are now housing Pre-K, beyond their useful life
  

• Classrooms are small, no flexibility
• Lighting throughout the building is poor
• Nurse room is too small and outdated
  
• Service providers are in make-shift spaces
• 4th floor of original building is isolated
• Lack of outdoor play space
• Overall condition & appearance is uninviting
• Building-wide renovations to address antiquated infrastructure

• Currently at 110% capacity, 10-year projection is 107% capacity
• Music is on a cart (no dedicated classroom)
• Art will also be on a cart in 2024-25 school year when bubble group comes up from Morse
• Band instruction takes place in auditorium
• Orchestra takes place in a room off the cafeteria
• 13 out of 38 classrooms are under 550 SF, of the remaining only 9 are above 770 SF
• or 29 of 38 classrooms are under 770 SF (SED standard)
• STEM program will be a push-in model due to lack of classroom space
• Creative instructional programs are limited due to lack of space
• Gym is antiquated and has accessibility issues

• Classrooms don’t allow for break-out or group work
• Lack of Special Education/PPS spaces
• Lack of music spaces
• No Technology, STEAM or INNOVATION type space
• Shared space between HS and MS are overutilized
• No room for program growth or innovative course creation

The facilities committee and district leadership worked closely with our architects to examine six distinct project options in order to determine which one was the best course of action. This thorough exploration ultimately paved the way for an informed and strategic decision-making process, leading to the proposed plan detailed below.

• Removal of Modulars
• Infrastructure Improvements

• 4th Story Addition
• Interior Renovations, Infrastructure & Building Maintenance, HVAC Upgrades

• 4th story, 11 classroom addition
• Interior Renovations, Infrastructure & Building Maintenance, HVAC Upgrades
• Turf Replacement and Bleacher Replacement

• Building Addition-STEM/Innovation Center
• Athletic Field Lights and Track Resurfacing

• Infrastructure Upgrades
• Finish Replacements to Reoccupy

This is a large-scale project that will have staggered construction over the course of three years. We have worked on logistics planning/phasing to minimize impact on teaching and learning, as well as the cost for taxpayers.

We have created a survey seeking feedback on this project. This survey will enable us to elicit feedback, hear your thoughts and concerns, and give us a greater sense of the community’s feelings about the project:

• Take the survey at this link (English)
• Realice la encuesta en este enlace (Español)

Our next Board of Education will be meeting on September 21, 2023 at 7 PM. During the meeting we will provide the trustees and the community with an update on our facilities planning. All community members and staff are invited to attend in person or virtually.

Updates will be shared during meetings, through newsletters, on our website, social media, and more. All information will be compiled and updated on our District Facilities Website.