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CEC 28 finalizes top five capital requests after site visits and damage reports
Summary
Council members prioritized five District 28 schools for capital‑project submissions to SCA and borough offices — PS 54, PS 175, MS 312, PS 140 and PS 99 — after reports of leaking ceilings, broken fountains, inconsistent HVAC, and other building failures at multiple schools.
Council members completed the district’s capital‑planning prioritization during the Jan. 8 business session, selecting five schools to submit as the top-ranked candidates for SCA/borough capital funding.
Treasurer Alicia Bauer reported findings from a Dec. 12 site visit to MS 287 (Emerson School), listing urgent needs including HVAC replacement (budget noted as $550,000), gym renovation ($2,000,000), restroom upgrades ($1.5M), nonfunctioning water fountains with standing water, fluctuating temperatures (cold on first floor, dangerously hot on third), and an auditorium ceiling hole that caused evacuation in the past. She said the school was approved to open the first bilingual special‑education class in the district starting Sept. 2026.
Across the district, council members recounted buildings with failed windows, broken fountains, leaking ceilings and stalled capital projects. Members stressed that allocated funds sometimes "disappear into the ether" before projects are implemented and asked the district to follow through on timelines and contractor accountability.
After member rankings and tallying, the council prioritized the following five schools for submission: PS 54 (top), PS 175, MS 312, PS 140 and PS 99. Members emphasized that submitting these projects does not mean other schools are abandoned; the council said it will continue to document and escalate needs for schools that did not make the top five.
Next steps: The council will submit the ranked list of five schools to the SCA/borough capital process and follow up with DOE/district staff on the status and timelines for projects. Members requested more transparency about which allocated projects proceed to implementation and asked district staff to help compile contractor and start-date information for stalled projects.
