SOMERS, N.Y. - The first phase of the Somers school district’s three-part $63.9 million capital improvements project is nearing completion but that’s just the “tip of the iceberg,” according to its builders, architects, and engineers.
John Hansen of Triton Construction Co., and Megan Holz of H2M last week brought the Board of Education and the public up to date on the status of districtwide upgrades to facilities, safety/security systems, and athletic fields.
The project was approved by voters in 2025.
Done and dusted – so far – are site improvements such as sidewalks, curbs, ADA parking spaces, ramps, and repairs to the loading dock’s retaining wall at Somers High School. A new traffic flow has also been created in SHS's parking lot.
According to Hansen, 197,000 square feet of asphalt has been replaced at SHS.
Similar things have been going on at Somers Intermediate School, where pavement and sidewalk replacement was paired with a new stormwater management system.
The loading dock’s stone walls at Primrose Elementary School have been repaired and preserved.
Fire alarm systems at SHS and the Somers Middle School have been changed to a state-of-the-art safety network that broadcasts spoken evacuation instructions and enables two-way verbal communication during an emergency. This is a whole lot better than having to rely solely on the traditional horns, sirens, or strobe lights.
New playground equipment and play areas have been installed at SIS and PES.
Flooring has been replaced at SIS in three key areas: the third-grade wing, the main entrance and office, and the school nurse’s suite and corridor.
The art room at SIS has gotten a much-need refresh with new flooring, cabinets, and paint..
Perhaps most exciting of all, SHS’s running track has been replaced with a high-performance version that will help improve training and competition, school officials said.
Existing masts at SHS’s Turfs 1 and 2 have also been updated with new LED lights and the poles at Turf 1 will be replaced this fall.
A press box for Turf 1 is being manufactured in Texas as we speak. It is expected to be installed after the fall sports season concludes.
Work on new Heating and air-conditioning systems at SHS and SMS have already started and will continue through next summer.
Triton explained that temperatures have to be at certain levels – either hot or cold – before the new HVAC equipment can be properly tested.
A digital sign at SMS will probably be ready to go by early winter.
Next up is Phase 2.
That part of the project is currently before the state Education Department for its review and permitting approval.
Areas targeted for work at PES include fire alarms, weatherization, UVs in classroom, small gym and large gym, bathroom upgrades, classroom flooring, refinish large gym flooring, water service and entrance canopy.
At SIS, alterations and improvements include fire alarms, HVAC upgrades to address a buildingwide humidity issue, an outdoor learning space, building weatherization, retaining wall, bathroom upgrades, classroom doors, and library upgrades.
Hansen pointed out that 70 percent of the ceilings at SIS will either be replaced or repaired and that’s a lot to accomplish during a work window of between eight to 10 weeks when school is not in session.
Weatherization, HVAC upgrades, classroom renovations, an a synthetic field are on the menu for SMS.
At SHS, an exterior gym ramp will be replaced, and its HVAC system, science room, and locker room will be improved. Floors, ceilings, casework, and doors will be upgrader and the cafeteria’s freezer will be enlarged.
Stuff that’s expect to take place during the summers of 2027 and 2028 include the new synthetic athletic field at SMS and PES’s front canopy and its water tank.
The district hopes to go out to bid on Phase 2 of the project this fall, with construction to start next summer and conclude in the fall of 2028.
Phase 3 will be submitted to the state this coming spring.
Because contractors like to nail down projects ahead of time, bidding for Phase 3 is expected to start this fall. The submittal to the state should take place no later than this winter and it’s hoped that construction will start in the spring of 2028 and conclude that winter.
Trustee Chadwick Olsen thanked the presenters for the detail provided, the look at timelines, and the inclusion of district stakeholders in the process.
“I know there’s a lot that goes into this and, as you’ve outlined, there’s a very tight timeframe,” he said, adding that the district hopes the weather next summer will “be beautiful for eight weeks straight.”
Getting a shout-out was Chris McCartney, the district’s director of facilities, and his hard-working maintenance crew who helped get “the project across the finish line,” Hansen said.
Christopher Platania, the district’s assistant superintendent for business and operations, acknowledged that a lot of work had occurred in the past couple of months but emphasized that “it’s just the beginning.”
“The next few summers around going to be very, very busy,” he said.
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