Hastings board calls Farragut Wing water damage a 'crisis,' weighs repair timing against proposed bond

Hastings-on-Hudson Board members were briefed Jan. 8 on extensive water damage to the Farragut Wing and on how repairs could affect a proposed capital bond.

Dr. McCarthy, speaking to the board at the start of the meeting, called the Farragut situation "truly a crisis for this district," credited staff and contractors for rapid response and warned that current classroom arrangements are "stopgap at best." She urged the board not to "slow down" on long-term facility investments that district leaders say are needed.

Melissa Symansky told the board the district kept grades 5–8 together to preserve leadership teams and teacher continuity, but that many teachers have lost dedicated classroom space and students are adapting to shared rooms and modified schedules. Symansky said roughly 2,000 boxes of materials are being stored in the Farragut gym and that small-group instruction, academic coaching and specials have been disrupted by the moves.

An early facilities assessment presented by Maureen said structural engineers, architects and the district's insurers have been on-site to map moisture and determine what horizontal building elements (ceilings, cabinetry and flooring) must be removed. Maureen said officials are taking a conservative approach to removal "because we want no possibility of mold in that building." She also reported that because the building predates asbestos regulation, asbestos is not expected to be an issue in the remediation work.

Officials said many ceilings and floors were deemed a full loss and that engineers expect to remove multiple horizontal elements and then assess what vertical structure can be retained. The district described a process of moisture mapping and phased removal to preserve salvageable material and to document the loss for insurers.

Board members and staff discussed the intersection of repair work with items already proposed for a capital bond. Maureen identified two Farragut-related line items in the current bond scope: about $1,000,000 of flooring and lighting upgrades in affected hallways and a larger ventilation upgrade that had been flagged in the district's building-condition review. Staff said that because ceilings are now open, carrying out some work now could be cheaper than doing it later and could reduce future costs; they cited a possible savings example for LED lighting installation if done opportunistically during repairs. Maureen said the district will consider using an emergency permit and that building aid (cited at about 47%) would still be available for eligible work.

Contractors, the district's renovations team (Renew) and insurance representatives met and largely agreed on scope, staff said. Officials asked for patience on exact costs: they estimated it could take about six weeks to finalize replacement-cost estimates and to present ongoing cost updates to the board. The district said it will schedule standing updates — roughly every two weeks — as engineers and insurers cost out the work.

Board members pressed whether insurance would be required to pay to bring disturbed areas up to current code; staff said that outcome depends on the scale of disturbance the insurers accept, and that in a situation affecting a large portion of a building insurers may agree to broader upgrades. The board also asked about who conducted the district's Building Condition Survey; staff said Lee & Associates performed the BCS and emphasized that later construction contracts will be competitively bid.

Staff also outlined the environmental review timeline for the bond and associated work. The district said it is performing geotechnical borings, hazardous-materials testing and a photometric study of outdoor lighting and expects to finish the environmental review process (referred to repeatedly in the meeting as the "secret process") around March 11. Only after the review is complete would the board adopt a final scope of work for any bond items tied to the project and, if approved, place a measure on the May ballot.

Dr. McCarthy and staff framed the situation as both a crisis to manage and, where appropriate, an opportunity to reduce future costs or accelerate needed code upgrades. "This is stopgap at best," Dr. McCarthy said. "But we will be efficient. We will be smart," she added, calling on the community to center student needs while the district pursues repairs and possible bond adjustments.

Next steps: the district will continue intensive onsite work with engineers and insurers, present cost and scope updates in regular board reports, and complete the environmental-review steps before the board can finalize any bond scope changes.