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Upgrades planned for Shoreham-Wading River High School

Shoreham-Wading River High School students can expect to attend classes in a refurbished building this fall.

Beginning the first week in July, renovations will begin at the high school during summer break, according to Superintendent Gerard Poole.

This summer’s changes will include the reconstruction of the main parking lot and an additional bus drop-off loop to improve student safety, the superintendent said in an email Monday.

“The well-being of our school community has been in the forefront of this project,” Mr. Poole said.

Other renovations will include changes to the high school kitchen and cafeteria to enhance the food service program and upgrades to the main office, guidance office, psychologist and social worker’s office and nurse’s office. Ceilings throughout the building will be repainted and the auditorium sound and lighting will be refurbished to offer students a modern theater production experience, Mr. Poole said.

“By renovating the support service suites including the nurse’s office, mental health offices and main office area, we will be better able to deliver those important services to students,” he said.

As crews prepare the space for construction, Mr. Poole said, the high school entrance and exit will be “particularly busy.”

The district office will remain open, but parking for the North Shore Public Library will be relocated to the rear of the high school building, just east of the district office parking lot, Mr. Poole said. In order to access the temporary parking for the library, drivers should bear left at the fork in the driveway toward the district offices — rather than right, toward the high school.

During renovations, there will be limited access to the high school campus. The campus tennis courts, fields and trails will be closed throughout the summer. High school staff will be relocated but phone systems and extensions will remain intact, he said.

The building upgrades are part of the 2015 Bond Renewal Project, a proposition approved by voters in January 2015. According to the district website, the $48.5 million capital project is intended to improve instructional space, preserve the district’s school buildings, promote energy efficiency and improve athletic fields and resources for the community. The district has previously unveiled upgrades at Miller Avenue and Wading River Schools, and Prodell Middle School last year.

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