In its proactive endeavor to avoid a 21st Century classroom "crunch" in its secondary schools, the Jericho School District, at the Thursday, March 26 Board of Education meeting, presented its proposal for sweeping renovations and expansion of all but one of its current buildings in operation.

Assistant to the Superintendent for Educational Operations and Personnel Dr. Ben Ciuffo, the man primarily responsible for planning this operation and keeping the district residents informed, reviewed the bountiful changes which will provide students with adequate space and high quality facilities.

Under plans drawn up by BJLJ Engineers and Architects, P.C., of Mineola, the most drastic alterations would take place in the secondary schools, where it is anticipated that enrollment will nearly double by 2006. In order to house the enormous amount of new space needed, an additional floor would be added to the building both schools share.

The already existent lower level will feature an extended wing of high school classrooms and support rooms, and new office and technology space. There will also be an impressive new gymnasium, surrounded by an elliptical indoor track. Complementing the new sport facility will be renovated locker rooms.

The main level will undergo the greatest change. This floor also features a new wing of high school classes, as well as three middle school art rooms and a cafeteria. Both secondary schools will benefit from the construction of a new learning center, library, guidance center, music room, and several new computer rooms.

The library will span two floors, comprising part of the new upper level. Construction of additional high school classes will also expand upward, and comprise the remainder of the second floor.

Ciuffo also addressed changes to the elementary schools, and quickly relieved many concerned parents that "This plan would involve no rezoning, a concern I know that many of you have had." It was only two years ago that children were displaced from their original schools to fill out the population of the reopened Robert Seaman Elementary School, and the district had been considering rezoning again to prepare for long-term population growth.

Seaman will house four new classrooms, under the current plans, on the Halsey Avenue side of the school. Jackson will also get four new rooms, located just past its older grade classrooms. Both schools' four room layouts will be constructed in quadrangular fashion, with each classroom comprising a corner of a square. Cantiague Elementary School is the only building that will not undergo expansion.

All schools will undergo capital improvements, but these improvements will constitute merely 16 percent of the proposal's cost. Renovations and new additional additions dominate the cost at nearly 84 percent.

Superintendent Grishman said that so little will be focused on capital improvements because of the strong condition of the school's current facilities, and the excellent care they receive from district maintenance employees. Capital improvements include air conditioning, ventilation, lighting and ceilings. But perhaps most interesting is a new outdoor track, something for which the Jericho Education Foundation has strived to raise money for the past two years.

But what exactly is the cost? According to Ciuffo, the capital improvements, renovations and new construction, along with some new furnishings and library books, comes to $22,463,200. A $6,738,960 contingency cost brings the grand total to $29,202,160 ¬ a sum that will be paid off by a 20-year bond.

The project's tax rate will be 6.1%, and the approximate cost per $100 of assessed valuation will be $2.772.

Final plans are to be approved and sent to the New York State Education Department in May, the department's approval is expected in September, and the bond vote is slated for November. Construction would begin in 1999, and would be completed by September of 2000.

Residents who attended the meeting had the chance to speak after the presentation. The response was mostly positive, but there were some suggestions made that the administration is now considering, for example, building additional elementary school rooms, a new gym/auditorium at Seaman and more sports facilities.

Aside from the rapidly burgeoning student population, the state's new curriculum standards and graduation requirements, as well as the addition of new technology required the board of education to create this proposal.