Schreiber has taken large steps in recent years to upgrade campus facilities and students’ livelihoods.  With impressive improvements across the gymnasiums, cafeteria, curriculum, and other prominent areas of interest, there seems to be very little that the district has done wrong.

In 2013, the School Board looked into a solar panel project which would be partly funded by the State’s green initiative.  Since then, there has been no clear progress.  In that time, North Shore School District has received a set of 2,000 solar panels and Smithtown High School West set a Long Island record for 3-acres worth of Solar Carports. 

 “It’s weird that we haven’t considered it,” said junior Noah Lapter.  

The issue was raised once again at a BOE meeting by RENU Contracting & Restoration in 2023.  RENU provided alternate energy plans for solar panels, UVs, lighting, and more, all of which could net the district $300k/year.  However, it would take 17-years to counteract the initial $30+ million investment.  

“It sounds great, but I don’t want students’ education to be sacrificed,” said junior Olivia Gade.  

With this in mind, it’s important to consider the scale of the other projects.

The School Board’s 2013 project would have cost $7.3 million (adjusted).  Smithtown’s cost $6.4 million and North Shore’s, almost $40 million.  

“Although such an investment would greatly benefit the school and continue to do so in the future, in the present moment, it doesn’t seem like a possibility,” said senior Averie Masia.  With exorbitant costs and stringent budgets, it seems a green future is slipping out of the picture.

“We haven’t gotten snow in four years.  The world is actively changing,” said sophomore Daniel O’Farell.  Among the many threats caused by climate change, the most proximate is severe natural disasters.  Yale reports more hurricanes could hit New York in coming years, coupled with up to 40 nor’easters bombarding the Northeast yearly, floods and power outages pose a long-term threat to many in Port Washington.  

“My power was out when I had homework, I saw a tree hit someone’s house and someone else’s car,” said junior Myla Tannenbaum about one of the more recent storms.  Access to educational materials, or even living materials, can become entirely cut off in these periods.  

“You need to bring them somewhere, whether it be the school or some other place that they deem the safest place in town,” said Guidance Counselor Mr. Lorge.  Being one of the largest public buildings in the Greater Port Washington area, easily accommodating up to 1,700 students, and having a pre-existing partnership with the Red Cross, Schreiber is well qualified to be an emergency shelter.  

In 2012, Hurricane Sandy wrought havoc on Port Washington.  In fact, Schreiber functioned as an emergency site for the community.   However, it was not easy.  

“That requires a degree of scurrying around to obtain the generators,” said Assistant Principal Mr. Miller.  Not having the necessary equipment on-base could therefore pose the same issue if another storm is to come to the shores.

The community, therefore, has a decision to make about the current condition of Schreiber’s situational readiness.  

“Schreiber presently does not have any generator or back up power systems,” said Director of Facilities and Operations Mr. Graham.  To prepare for a crisis, a battery-generator system would be in the ballpark of $5-11 million and a gasoline-generator system would cost upwards of $1 million.  The batteries would be maintenance free as they would likely be charged by solar panels, compared to gas costing roughly $30,000. 

 “The community has to make a decision on whether or not that’s worth it.  Again, cost benefit,” said Mr. Miller.

The need for Schreiber to prepare itself for a crisis faces mixed reactions.  

“I don’t see it as something we need to worry about now,” said freshman Viktor Strausser.  Others view it as a feeling of security.  “I think it’s always better to have,” said Mr. Miller.  A battery-system would potentially be part of a mass-grant to move the district towards green-energy.  Otherwise, the gas-system would be its own investment.  The exorbitant investment needed to create this security is the current limiter and the reason no such idea has made progress since Hurricane Sandy, well at least one would think.

“We used generators because we had no power and without those generators, we wouldn’t have gotten the school open,” said Head Custodian Mr. Albury.  Prior to the school year, there was a 10-day maintenance-and-upgrade power outage which almost delayed Schreiber’s opening day.  If it weren’t for two portable generators courtesy of Mr. Graham, the custodial staff would have not been able to upkeep a considerable portion of the school.  If these were to have run out or the power outage been drawn out, the missed days would have cut into student breaks and educational opportunities.  

The relationship between green energy and hurricanes may seem far-fetched, but they are well connected.  As the climate crisis beckons, Schreiber must choose its priorities to maintain the best environment for students and the community.  Whether that picture accommodates large investments into green energy and batteries is a matter left to the voters.  These changes are something that would be beneficial and quite important for our schools and community, but costs are just as important to consider in making a choice.