Construction has been taking place at all five schools this summer, the first phase of the $69.9 million bond referendum that was passed by voters in March 2016.

One of the major projects is the installation of security vestibules at each school. It will add a second set of locked doors at the main entrances to create another layer of safety for students and staff. Visitors would be buzzed in through the first set of doors, then have to present their identification to security staff before being allowed into the building.

Demolition has already taken place and entranceways are being reconfigured with new interior doors and windows. Additional security cameras will also be installed.

Window panes have been replaced at Northwest and Northeast elementary schools. The window frames remained but all of the old Lexan glass was removed, which became cloudy over the years. It was replaced with new glass that will allow more natural light into classrooms.

Approximately 280 window panes were replaced at Northeast, the district’s pre-K and kindergarten center, and about 320 at Northwest, which serves first through third grades.

The new parking lot, containing about two dozen spots, has been finished on the north side of Northwest Elementary School, replacing a gravel lot. The project included new asphalt, sidewalks, curbs and drainage.

The masonry reconstruction project has begun at Park Avenue Memorial Elementary School. Pieces of cast stone on the front of the building that were chipped and cracked will be replaced. The stone dates back to the original construction of the south wing in 1923 and north wing in 1932. Scaffolding has been erected around the facade and work will continue during the evening once the school year begins.

Duct work has been replaced on the roof of Park Avenue. Replacement of interior doors and hardware at all schools will take place during the first few months of the school year.

Construction on the addition to Amityville Memorial High School, which includes a new gymnasium, classrooms and science labs, is set to begin in June 2018. Plans have already been submitted to the State Education Department, with approval expected in February. Capital projects are also scheduled to begin next summer at Edmund W. Miles Middle School, including the replacement of original windows.

The exterior portable classroom wing at Northwest is being repainted this summer as a district maintenance project.