Eastchester UFSD bond projects largely on track; district outlines phased plan for building air conditioning and upgrades

ARRIS Contracting told the Eastchester Union Free School District Board of Education at a Feb. 4 work session that the district—s 2022 capital bond projects are progressing on a phased schedule and largely at or below budget.

The update covered completed work on fields and parking, near‑completion of safety and security upgrades, ongoing abatement and mechanical work at the middle and high schools, and planned future phases that include electrical service upgrades, classroom heating/cooling conversions and auditorium renovations. ARRIS said plumbing trades for some phases will be rebid.

The presentation said phase 1 (field and parking upgrades) was finished in March 2023. Phase 2 focused on security vestibules, surveillance, access control, door hardware for lockdowns, lighting and related abatement; ARRIS described that phase as "substantially complete" with a few outstanding punchlist items. Phase 3 work at the high school and middle school has included asbestos abatement, conversion of steam boilers to hot water, replacement of unit ventilators and corridor ceiling and lighting upgrades. Phase 4 will finish work at Anne Hutchinson Elementary, including toilet room ADA upgrades, electrical service work, heating and cooling upgrades and auditorium mechanical and ceiling work; ARRIS said the auditorium may remain under work into October of the next school year because of the scope.

Scott Hildje, ARRIS construction manager, told the board, "regarding the overall schedule and budget, I'm happy to report that overall, we are doing really well, to date. We have completed phase 1, and that was on budget." He also said the district would rebid the plumbing contracts to ensure competitive bids for the remaining work.

District staff and ARRIS emphasized that adding air conditioning across the district requires phased electrical upgrades at several elementary sites before full cooling can be provided. A district representative said the board and design team chose a multi‑phase plan when voters approved the 2022 bond so work could be staged to prioritize safety upgrades while managing costs and ongoing school use. As one administrator summarized the reasoning: "It—s not realistic for the district to take on $75,000,000 in one summer."

On longer‑range work, ARRIS said planning for phase 5 will begin soon and is expected to span multiple summers (notably summer 2026 and summer 2027) for major HVAC, curtain wall replacement and electrical panel upgrades at Greenvale, Waverly and other sites. ARRIS and district staff said they expect the remaining bond work to conclude after that multi‑summer sequence.

Board members asked questions about timing for air conditioning at Anne Hutchinson; staff confirmed Anne Hutchinson—s major HVAC work is included in phase 4 and that the elementary building, the middle school and the high school are expected to have air conditioning by the end of the coming summer construction window. ARRIS and the district also noted a small number of outstanding warranty or punchlist issues from early phases that will be addressed at future meetings.

The presentation closed with an acknowledgment that most phases to date are at or below the budgeted amounts, and that the district will return with contract recommendations (including for plumbing) and updates on remaining punchlist items. The board listed upcoming meetings on Feb. 25 and March 11.