Congers Students Start Classes In New Location

After a long weekend of work for Clarkstown School District employees, teachers and parent volunteers, the relocated Congers Elementary School students began their first day of classes at St. Augustine’s School in New City.

“The building looked good when we left last night,” said Assistant Superintendent John LaNave on Tuesday morning. 

He said Superintendent Dr. J. Thomas Morton was spending the morning at the school. 

Congers Elementary School was closed in late August after engineers determined it was unsafe for occupancy. The school’s almost 300 students were assigned to the New City, Lakewood and Laurel Plains elementary schools for the start of the school year. Parents voiced numerous concerns about the arrangements and pleaded with the school board to relocate all Congers’ students to one building. 

LaNave said the SmartBoards were working in the classrooms and the lunchroom was ready for the students.

He said he was hopeful the third phase of the study of Congers Elementary would be completed before the next school board meeting on Thursday, Oct. 24 so it could be shared publicly. The second phase report completed by CS Arch of Albany recommended complete removal and replacement of the south and west masonry walls of the gymnasium/auditorium and repair of the east wall. The 19-page report also outlined steps to keep the building safe if the decision is made to leave it vacant.  

The estimated cost to make the building usable based on the second phase totaled $1,586,753 including installation of temporary interior walls, replacement of gym ventilation units, ceiling tiles and carpeting in basement classrooms and new windows. Under a Fast Track timeline, the work including design approval, bid and construction phases would take between 10 and 11 months. 

Preparing the building for long-term vacancy would run an estimated $66,673 and take approximately five months for the design, approval, bid and construction phases.

The third phase of the study approved by the school board on October 10th will include analysis of the main entrance facade, classroom wings and sections of the brick veneer. The main part of the building with the gym/auditorium is 86 years old and classroom wings were added in 1956. The full report can be read here.

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