Design and engineering teams told the Brighton Central School District Board of Education on Sept. 30 that detailed renovation documents for Council Rock Primary School have been submitted to the New York State Education Department and that the work will include asbestos abatement and the phased renovation of 33 rooms over roughly a two- to two-and-a-half-year construction program.

The update came from Joe Casorick of SWBR and Aaron McConnell of ME Engineering, who presented progress since the district's voter-approved referendum and said the submission already had generated comments from the state. "We already have comments back from state education department," Casorick said, adding architecturally there were 15 comments and only two mechanical/electrical/plumbing comments. That quick turnaround, he said, reflects the number of detailed, coordinated documents the team provided.

Why it matters: the project will require in-place abatement and phased demolition and reconstruction of classrooms while the school remains occupied, which raises operational and safety questions for staff and families and sets a multi-year schedule for when renovated learning spaces will be available.

What the plan covers: Casorick and McConnell summarized five document groups sent to the state — code compliance, site civil, hazardous-material (asbestos) abatement documentation, architectural design, and mechanical/electrical/plumbing drawings. The work outlined in those files includes:
- Interior work in three wings (west, east and south) affecting 33 rooms (31 classrooms plus a special-education room and a music room) that will be gutted and receive new finishes, fixtures and moveable furniture.
- Roof work: a full reconstruction over the art room and a restoration on the northwest wing after thermal imaging informed preservation choices.
- Site and playground improvements, including an expanded playground area and a multi-season synthetic turf surface on the lower field.
- Toilet-room renovations (new fixtures and ceilings), new lighting and upgraded power/data in classrooms. McConnell said major HVAC systems were largely replaced in the previous phase and will not require wholesale replacement in this phase.

Asbestos and safety: Superintendent Lou (first name used in the meeting) discussed containment and safety protocols for abatement work. "As we do the demolition of the classrooms... we will have containment areas in the four to six classrooms that we're going to be working at a time. So that'll be under constant negative pressure. It'll be monitored, closely," Lou said, adding that abatement work "is highly regulated" and will be coordinated with the school community. He emphasized that the building is presently safe and that abatement occurs when demolition exposes previously encapsulated materials.

Phasing and disruption: The presenters said the project will be phased so that some work occurs while school is in session. Casorick said the documents show the team expects construction to occur over approximately "two to two and a half years," and that the district's campus construction manager will finalize phasing and in-school sequencing. Principal Matt Tappan (Council Rock) told the board administrators will work this year to make plans transparent to teachers and families so staff can prepare for midyear moves and temporary changes to classroom locations.

Next steps: the team said the state review may generate addenda and clarifications; campus construction will present phasing and construction sequencing at future meetings. Board members and administrators repeatedly emphasized community communication and teacher planning time during the multi-year disruption.

No formal board action was taken on the project during the presentation; the session served as an informational update on the state submission and expected next steps.