This past weekend the Levittown Community Council undertook the beautification of the outdoor grounds of the Little Red Schoolhouse in the Levittown School District. This effort on the part of the council comes at a time when the school district is considering reopening the two rooms that were added onto the building in the 1920s.

The original one-room schoolhouse was built in the 1800s and the two additional rooms were added on when the Jerusalem Avenue School District was created. In 1996 the building was designated a national historic landmark.

Because of the building's landmark status, any work that is done on the original structure must be done in the style and manner of the original building. Louise Cassano, president of the Community Council, noted that this is difficult because it is very difficult to find a place that sells clapboard so the district would have to order from specialized dealers in order to refurbish the original structure, which could be costly. Since the two front rooms of the building are not part of the original structure renovations can be made more easily on that area. It is this section of the building, which can be renovated and updated, that the Levittown School District is presently considering using as a day care facility for the children of district staff members.

The plans to re-open the building for the day care facility has been approved by the board, according to School Board President Diane Shapiro, but it has not yet been approved by the union. If it is approved, according Superintendent of Schools Herman Sirois, the district would hope to open the facility in September. This September opening would depend, not only on approval by the union but on the renovations being able to be completed in that time period.

The day care facility would be self-sustaining and according to both Sirois and Shapiro would be paid for by the employees rather than the district taxpayers. The union, stated Sirois, has indicated an interest in this day care program, and he added, "as long as they do it as a self-sustaining program it would in a way kill two birds with one stone. We'll have somebody in the building which helps protect the building and an occupied building is always less subject to vandalism than an empty building."

The district's plan for the building does not include any costs to the taxpayers which is one of the reasons why the Community Council's cleanup of the property is such a benefit to the residents.

Shapiro stated, "I think it's great. Our district employees were doing what had to be done but this really revitalized the area because if you go by there you'll see all these weeping cherry trees that are on the side, and they got all this donated too, and there is all new topsoil and new plants in the front and in the back and new seeding. The grounds are looking really great, something the school district didn't get around to. It helps because it doesn't cost the school district money to plant. If we open the building we want the grounds to look better so it did help the school district."

Community Council members have spent months preparing for this beautification effort and were able to secure donations of plantings, soil, etc., from various local merchants. According to Cassano, "K-Mart and Sears on Hempstead Turnpike were very generous, they supplied us with a good deal of what we wanted and Hicks Nurseries came through with a couple of bushes that we were looking for." These plantings were used to implement the landscape plan that students in the Levittown School District's Horticulture and Design Drafting programs had designed.

The designs of the students were implemented in both rain and shine this past weekend. On Saturday about 45 volunteers worked on planting trees and shrubs. In the rain on Sunday, approximately 23 volunteers planted annuals, seeded, and filled in potholes with topsoil. Volunteers included Cub Scouts, students from the honor society, council members, and other community members.

Following the work on Sunday, the Community Council hosted a barbecue for all the volunteers.

Cassano said, "Needless to say we were drenched when the day was finished but it was a really good weekend because the generosity of local merchants and all the people who came out to help was just incredible."

When asked how the council chose the Little Red Schoolhouse, Cassano responded, "The Little Red Schoolhouse has been noticed several times throughout the history of Levittown as a place that needs to be cleaned up, needed to be refurbished."

The final result of the weekend's efforts has been very well received. Cassano said, "The place looks lovely. It looks very, very nice." This sentiment was echoed by both Sirois and Shapiro. Sirois, who had driven by the schoolhouse on Monday stated, "It turned out wonderful. It looked really good, better than it has looked in a long time." The building itself has not been used since the 1970s. Shapiro said, "It looks beautiful."

This cleanup is part of an ongoing effort on the part of the Community Council to revitalize and beautify Levittown. Sirois noted, "The Community Council, the things they're doing with the cleanups are very symbolic of how communities get together to beautify their community and we're certainly appreciative."

Cassano stated, "I really think it instills some pride in the community when people walk through a town and see that things that were previously an eyesore are being cleaned up and that people are taking an interest in their community. I think it has a contagious effect, after a while people will pick up on that, certainly you're not going to get 100 percent participation, but it's going to start to be noticed by people and they're going to start to participate, even if it is just in their own neighborhood."

In the far future, noted Cassano, what the council really wants to accomplish is for everybody to adopt a little area in their own neighborhood to take care of and to beautify, even if it is just planting a few flowers.

The Levittown Community Council plans to return to work at the Little Red Schoolhouse on June 12 and is still looking for more volunteers and donations.