• BHS Field House/Fitness Center &
      Student Experiences (STEAM Lab & NJROTC) Renovations


               

      Background: Athletics: The original Brewster High School (BHS) gymnasium was constructed and opened in the 1979-80 school year and has remained relatively unchanged to this day.  An athletic field house would provide an indoor facility with a synthetic turf playing surface, as an alternative to traditional hardwood flooring.  This is especially important for fall and spring sports, which are often delayed or interrupted when extreme heat, rain, and/or snow create unproductive and unsafe practice conditions.  The ancillary athletic facilities, including a new Fitness Center, would provide our student-athletes and community members with an improved collegiate-style environment for athletic training.  This additional space would also reduce conflict amongst athletic teams in securing practice spaces after the school day and during inclement weather.  During the school day, the added space would increase opportunities for physical education courses, including electives.

      STEAM Lab: Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Math (STEAM) instruction is the key to innovation and job creation in the United States, and is constantly evolving each day.  The last significant improvements made to BHS science rooms occurred over 20 years ago: seven years before the release of the first Apple iPhone.  Since that time, an incredible transformation in STEAM instruction has occurred which requires improvements to the learning environment of our students in order to better prepare them for future work and post-secondary education.

      NJROTC: Brewster is one of just 16 school districts in New York State, which hosts the growing  Navy’s Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (NJROTC) program.  Participation in this prestigious program requires that the District meet certain standards in terms of military staffing and instructional space.  While the District continues to meet the military staffing requirements, the District fails to meet space standards.  This puts the District at risk of losing the program, should annual waiver requests not be honored by the Navy in the future.

      Project Highlights: 28,000+ sq ft addition, including indoor Field House, Fitness Center, lavatories, additional parking, as well as, the creation of a STEAM Lab though a series of interior moves and renovations

      • Athletics
        • 19,000+ sq ft Field House with synthetic turf playing surface
        • 3,000+ sq ft Fitness Center to include expanded weight room, aerobic area, and yoga area
        • Improved parking and walkway access along the Field House to the adjacent track

      • Student Experiences (STEAM Lab & NJROTC) 
        • Renovation and conversion of the existing LGI Room/Student Lounge into a STEAM Lab
        • Renovation and conversion of the existing Weight Room into a NJROTC Room
        • Renovation and conversion of the existing NJROTC Room into a Cyber Cafe/Student Lounge

      Educational Benefit:

      • Athletics
        • High school fall/spring teams could practice in the Field House during inclement weather (ie: extreme heat, rain, wind, or snow) and during the winter
        • Youth sports organizations could rent the Field House in late winter/early spring, as an alternative to private indoor sports complexes
        • Fitness Center is 500+ sq ft larger than the existing Weight Room (net of Trainers Room)
      • Student Experiences (STEAM Lab & NJROTC)
        • A dedicated STEAM Lab would provide an innovative space for students to create, problem solve, and develop skills & talents
        • NJROTC would be provided with more instructional space and storage for large orienteering and drilling items, gaining over 1,200+ sq ft and improving access to the gym and outdoors
        • A Cyber Cafe/Student Lounge would provide an atmosphere for students to continue collaborating on project-based activities in a comforting environment

      Financial Profile: Depending on the nature of the work performed, the cost of the project will be financed by a capital improvement bond repaid over a period of 15-20 years.  Similar to a home mortgage, this spreads the payment out over the useful life of the improvements and minimizes the impact on the taxpayer.

    • *The financial impact of Proposition II was presented at the December 13th Board of Education Meeting.  Information was prepared in consultation with the District’s fiscal advisors (Capital Markets Advisors, LLC), architects (Fuller & D’Angelo Architects, PC), and construction managers (Triton Construction, LLP).

      Presentations/discussions will resume in November 2022 at public Board of Education meetings and workshops.  It is at the Board of Education’s sole discretion as to which projects are considered to move forward in formulating the final scope of the Capital Improvement Project bond referendum.  It is anticipated that the Board of Education will adopt a resolution authorizing a Capital Improvement Project bond referendum at its Tuesday, January 24, 2023 meeting.  The community would then be asked to vote on the bond on Tuesday, March 21, 2023.

       

      Contributors:  D. Berardo (BCSD), N. Horler (BCSD), P. LaMoreaux (Community), M. Karlsson (Community)