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French Road Elementary project: new HVAC, secure vestibule, freezer and solar plans outlined
Summary
District facilities and design teams updated the board on summer and forthcoming work at French Road Elementary, including heat‑pump replacements, improved ventilation, a new secure vestibule, a larger district freezer/cooler to enable bulk purchasing, and planned solar-panel monitoring for classroom use.
Brighton Central School District’s facilities team and project partners briefed the Board of Education on Oct. 28 about the latest phase of construction and modernization at French Road Elementary.
Tyler Phillips, representing the district’s construction management team, summarized visible summer work: canopy replacement and new building entrance signage; added rooftop HVAC units; ceiling, lighting and hallway upgrades; counseling-suite renovations; and a new secure vestibule to improve front-office access control. He said remaining work for the next summer includes cafeteria flooring and additional mechanical replacements.
Engineer Aaron McConnell explained technical benefits: systematic replacement of aging heat pumps will raise ventilation rates to current standards and improve filtration while increasing energy efficiency and simplifying maintenance. “We replaced a lot of the heat pumps throughout the building,” McConnell said, noting this approach standardizes equipment for easier parts and service.
Designer David Hallmark (SA Design Group) said the project staggers heat-pump replacements on a multi-year schedule to spread capital costs and avoid concentrated large expenditures. He described a new district freezer/cooler that will be located off the kitchen to free space for safer food service operations, enable bulk purchasing and extend storage capacity across the district. Hallmark also said the scope includes photovoltaic panels tied to an in‑building monitor so students can observe and study solar generation as a teaching element.
Lou Alaimo and campus construction representatives thanked district staff. The district noted cumulative capital investments exceeding $120,000,000 since 2017 and said the freezer/cooler responds to a recent 40% increase in meals served across the district. Board members asked schedule and safety questions; staff said they will coordinate changes to bus loops and food-service operations as later phases proceed.
The board received the update and asked staff to return with further schedule details as the project moves into its next phase.
