A new gymnasium and a marine biology wet lab may be in the cards for the Sag Harbor School District. According to Jeff Nichols, the district superintendent, the plans are still in their early days, but he hopes to put a bond referendum for the project to a public vote by the fall.
In the meantime, the plan is for an architect or members of the educational facilities planning committee to appear at the school board’s reorganization meeting on July 14 at 6:30 p.m. And in an effort to inform the public, members of that committee and the school administration have been conducting tours of the facility this week, the last one being Thursday at 3 p.m.
The current high school gym building is roughly 60 years old. Mr. Nichols has been working at Pierson since 1996, he said during a recent tour, and in that time the only substantial work that’s been done was the replacement of the bleachers over 10 years ago.
“So, some of the shortcomings are that the roof leaks, it doesn’t look all that great, the floor has multiple dead spots,” meaning places where a ball may bounce oddly. “What we’ve done over the years is try to patch it, but it’s very inconsistent.” What’s more, the gym’s height is an issue. “You can’t even play volleyball in there,” as the balls hit the ceiling.
A new gym would improve a variety of school programs, according to the district’s website, “including science, music, and robotics/technology, as well as athletics.” The existing facility’s “multiple deficiencies” include a lack of air-conditioning, “inadequate storage, poorly located and aged locker rooms,” and “substandard training rooms.”
The idea for a redo came from the facilities committee, which comprises parents, school board members, administrators, and Jennifer Buscemi, the business administrator. For almost two years the committee has been discussing a larger project involving the gym, conducting community outreach in the process.
Mr. Nichols described the options. One is to stay within the current footprint of the gym and do a full renovation, including raising the ceiling. A second option would be to do piecemeal work, which would include ripping up the old floor and installing a new one, but possibly leaving out projects like redoing the roof and fixing the ventilation. But both options, he said, would be very expensive and most likely not cover all the problems the district would like to fix, for example, putting the office for coaches on the same level as the gym floor, for security reasons.
A new gym building would extend from the rear of the school into the back field, and would be connected to the hallway where the locker rooms are. The locker rooms themselves, where there are several exposed pipes, would also see work.
As for a possible marine biology wet lab, it would be next to the parking lot on Montauk Avenue, allowing a hands-on marine biology experience. Southampton and Westhampton Beach are among the school districts that have such a lab.
“You provide students the opportunity to dive into it,” Mr. Nichols said, “and what we’re envisioning is more based on our local ecosystem, and the kids would be able to look at it and work with it.”
The lab and the gym would be connected. Part of the current gym’s transformation would involve expanding the weight room, now a small space off the gym floor. The robotics lab, which is actually the old weight room on the bottom floor of the building next to the locker rooms, would have a new space upstairs.
“I would like to give them a space more appropriate than a windowless basement,” Mr. Nichols said.
The school’s orchestra, which at present makes use of the school’s auditorium, could see a new music room. And one of the two new multipurpose spaces planned could be used for special education.
At time of this reporting there was no information on costs for new construction or renovation, as discussion and planning continue.
“If the board decided to move forward with it,” Mr. Nichols said, “which I hope they will, then we’ll have some forums and informational sessions.”
A survey on the various aspects of the project is available for school district residents on the school’s website.