Ellington Board of Education

Ellington Board of Education

Ad Hoc Facilities Committee

Project “Talking Points”

Crystal Lake School

SAFETY

·  The route 140 entrance/exit has a limited site line and clearly poses a safety hazard. The architectural firm currently working with the district believes that in any renovation of Crystal Lake School the current driveway will no longer be allowed to be used as an exit. Hopefully, it will still be approved as an entrance.

·  The New England School Development Council (NESDEC) report of April 2008 states “The bus and car traffic with pedestrians pose a safety concern. The existing driveway and sidewalk have some cracked surfaces. Part of the land adjacent to the access road is owned by the church across the street, with a small historic building near the school, which limits driveway access. The district is encouraged to consider an alternative traffic pattern on the property to improve this situation.”

DEFICIENCIES

·  The gymnasium floor is cracking

·  The kitchen has deteriorating asbestos floor tiles, older equipment, inadequate dry food storage, limited refrigerator and freezer space

·  There is a lack of sufficient storage

·  There are no lavatories or sinks inside the kindergarten classroom

·  There is no running water in the staff room

·  There is no dedicated space for Occupational/Physical therapy

·  The heating system is antiquated

·  Crystal lake School is in need of renovation which would include systems renovations – Fire alarm, Voice, security, lighting, sewer, indoor air quality, technology infrastructure, asbestos removal, ceiling replacement, accessibility, and code

·  The original structure of the building, built in 1957 , is not ADA compliant

PROGRAM ISSUES

·  There is no dedicated room for Art instruction as Art is held in the cafeteria

·  Art instruction cannot be scheduled during lunch periods

·  Music instruction is on the stage of the gym therefore physical education and music instruction cannot be scheduled at the same time

·  If an additional classroom is needed for instruction the computer lab would need to be dismantled

DISTRICT ENROLLMENT

·  District enrollment increased by twenty percent over the past decade

·  District enrollment is projected to increase by another twenty percent over the next decade

·  Windermere School is already over capacity as it has 874 students in a building planned for 800 students

·  The intermediate school computer lab has already been eliminated to create room for a ninth grade five classroom

·  An eighteen room addition to the middle school to accommodate grade six is not a feasible alternative

·  Movement of the pre-school program from Center School to Windermere School is necessary to allow for a kindergarten through grade six configuration at all three elementary schools