Budget Transfer for Jefferson
Boiler Repair
One of Jefferson Primary School's two boilers is not working. Huntington School Board members approved a $59,500 budget transfer to fund an emergency repair within the next two weeks.
Trustees awarded a bid for the work to Boilermatic Welding Industries. "This is necessary repair work as the current system is operating under only one, instead of two, boilers," Assistant Superintendent Sam Gergis said. "Should the second one cease to operate, the heating system in the school will cease to function completely."
Due to the nature of the malfunction and the repair that must be performed, the work qualifies as an "emergency project," according to Mr. Gergis. "The budget transfer is necessary in order to facilitate the required repair and proper operation of the building and to prevent further damage to the system," he said.
Since the cost of the repair is under $100,000, the district can register the work as a "capital outlay project" with the State Education Department and seek 100 percent reimbursement of the expense. "The district would receive the aid during the 2013/14 school year," Mr. Gergis said.
Trustees voted 7-0 to authorize the budget transfer. District officials expect the boiler repair to be complete by March 20.
Sensing the need to add another elementary school to meet the needs of a growing community, the Huntington School District purchased an eight acre tract of land on Oakwood Road more than 50 years ago and in 1961-62 erected what would later be named Jefferson Elementary School, in honor of Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States and the author of the Declaration of Independence.
Jefferson School was the fourth building the Huntington School Board named for a U.S. president, with the others being Lincoln, Roosevelt and Washington elementary schools.
Over the years, the parents of Jefferson School students have been extremely supportive of the school and its programs and that same tradition continues today. The school is a single story structure set back from Oakwood Road. A long driveway leads to the building with athletic fields and a large playground visible to the thousands of cars passing by each day on the busy thoroughfare.
When Jefferson was built, most of the nearby land was used for farming and other agricultural purposes. Today, some of those large areas have been set aside for land perseveration and are forever free of development, although they are no longer used for agricultural endeavors.
The building includes an attractive courtyard area that is used for both educational initiatives and simple enjoyment. Two large wings are connected by a shorter enclosed span.There are two playground areas and a fully functional library-media center.
The school features a large cafeteria overlooking the school entrance and a gym complete with a stage, allowing it to double as an auditorium for assembly programs and large group gatherings. There is no useable basement.
An attractive stone exterior wall on the east side of the building is a hallmark of the school's front entrance walkway. A flagpole sits in the midst of a bus circle island. A parking field lies adjacent to the bus circle and vehicle spaces line the driveway leading to the building and alongside the playing fields. The original architectural plan resembled almost a reverse layout of what was eventually built.