Open letter to the members of the Board of Estimate and Taxation from Jen Bencivengo, Old Greenwich School principal
Dear Members of the Board of Estimate and Taxation,
I am writing today to respectfully request your support for the full funding of $39,795,873 as an interim appropriation for the Old Greenwich School renovation and release the $1,086,000 in A&E funding in FY 2023-2024 budget as reaffirmed unanimously by the Board of Education on October 5, 2023. As the proud principal of Old Greenwich School, there is no one who knows more intimately the needs of our building, students, staff and community.
I can also confidently assure you our Old Greenwich community is unequivocally in support of the preservation and renovation/alteration of our iconic school building.
As I am sure you are aware, on Tuesday, October 3, 2023 the Planning & Zoning Commission unanimously approved our application for municipal improvement as well as our preliminary coastal site plan, at a meeting where there were endless voices in favor of the preservation project from taxpayers and no opposition.
Our project will meet the following vital needs of our school:
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Create a safe, secure, and accessible building for students, staff, and the community
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Provide adequate instructional spaces to meet current and future enrollment needs
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Comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act requirements for an accessible school building
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Adhere to current fire safety protocol through a comprehensive sprinkler system
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Ensure better energy efficiency and air quality through new HVAC systems, mechanical systems, and window replacements
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Resolve storm water management and groundwater flooding issues
Community Response
Our building committee and architecture team from Silver Petrucelli & Associates has held several neighbor and parent forums to discuss with the community the scope of our project, next steps, budgetary implications and elicit feedback and questions.
The overwhelming majority of taxpayers were emphatic about their desire to preserve our school building. There was zero interest in a modern replacement project from the school community. Additionally, the parent community was clear in their request to have students maintained in the current school building throughout the renovation with no need for busing students, modular classrooms, or relocation. The Old Greenwich School community is described as Rockwellian in nature with the vast majority of students and parents walking or biking to school each day. Parents voiced the importance of maintaining this aspect of our culture and reinforced the importance of gathering as a school community on our plaza throughout and beyond the project’s stages of development.
I feel it imperative at this juncture to remind you of the unequivocal requirements of all Federal and State regulations inclusive of the Americans with Disability Act and their implication on our necessary renovations.
ADA
Chapter 2 of the Guide to ADA Accessibility Standards notes, when a public school chooses to alter any of its facilities, the spaces being altered must comply with the 2010 Standards. “An alteration is defined as remodeling, renovating, rehabilitating, reconstructing, changing or rearranging structural parts or elements, changing or rearranging plan configuration of walls and full-height or other fixed partitions, or making other changes that affect (or could affect) the usability of the facility.”
Similarly, section 202.4 of the code requires any area deemed a primary function inclusive of the nurse’s office, main office, single use spaces such as art, music, media center and other individual classroom spaces be made accessible to and for all. These primary functions would also include one classroom at each grade level be made fully accessible for students and adults inclusive of entry door width, accessible classroom sinks, adequate space for access to coat/bag storage and emergency exit from the classroom. As noted in our approved design, we will have a fully accessible school inclusive of classrooms, all offices, single use spaces and bathrooms at Old Greenwich School.
The law also indicates that 60% (rounded up) of the primary entrances to the school are required to be accessible. Therefore, as we have 2 primary entrances, our main front entrance up the grand central staircase and gym door entrance, 60% of 2 is 1.2 rounded up per the law would require both entrances be made fully accessible for all users. As noted in our approved design, we will have two fully accessible entrances to Old Greenwich School.
The Old Greenwich School preservation project will meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Federal Office of Civil Rights.
Fire Safety
The National Fire Prevention Association notes, “Sprinklers reduce the impact of fires. Compared to reported fires in properties with no automatic extinguishing systems (AES), when sprinklers were present, the civilian fire death and injury rates per fire were 89 percent and 27 percent lower, respectively. The rate of firefighter injuries per fire was 60 percent lower.” Which presumes at this time, the students and staff at Old Greenwich School are 89% more at risk for fire death as a school lacking universal sprinkler systems for fire safety than that of schools with comprehensive sprinkler systems. As noted in our approved design, we will have a fully sprinklered and fire safe school.
The Old Greenwich School preservation project will meet the requirements of the National Fire Prevention Association.
Air Quality/HVAC
Indoor air quality, ventilation, and centralized heating and cooling became a paramount discussion throughout the pandemic. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) notes, “EPA studies of human exposure to air pollutants indicate that indoor levels of pollutants may be two to five times — and occasionally more than 100 times — higher than outdoor levels. These levels of indoor air pollutants are of particular concern, because most people spend about 90 percent of their time indoors.”
For the purposes of this guidance, the EPA states the definition of good indoor air quality (IAQ) management includes:
● Control of airborne pollutants;
● Introduction and distribution of adequate outdoor air; and
● Maintenance of acceptable temperature and relative humidity.
Notably, for purposes of our school renovation project, the EPA states, “Good Indoor Air Quality contributes to a favorable environment for students, performance of teachers and staff, and a sense of comfort, health and well-being. These elements combine to assist a school in its core mission — educating children.” As noted in our approved design, we will have a school with excellent indoor air quality, modern HVAC and the ability to ensure our teachers no longer use the strategy of open windows to address airborne pollutants.
The Old Greenwich School preservation project will meet the requirements of the Environmental Protection Agency and Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Thank you in advance for approving the interim funding request to ensure Old Greenwich School can meet the requirements of expected compliance of the Office of Civil Rights complaint of 2021. This approval would finally allow students and staff to be in a healthy and safe educational environment.
In closing, I respectfully request the BET adhere to the recommendation of the BoE request for full funding of the Old Greenwich School Preservation and Renovation building project.
Respectfully,
Jennifer Bencivengo
Proud Principal
Old Greenwich School