The thought of summer brings up images of sun and sand, barbeques and county fairs.
For school staff, summer also means focusing on scheduling, professional development and other important work. For Facilities and Operations at Dutchess BOCES, the summer is the perfect time to complete projects big and small to prepare for the students’ return in early September.
In addition to yearly summer work including emptying classrooms, waxing floors, painting, and other maintenance projects, Director of Facilities and Operations Cole Bender shared exciting updates to the cosmetology and new esthetics classrooms in the Career and Technical Institute.
All new sinks, work stations and lighting are installed in the cosmetology classrooms, with new flooring where needed.
Bender noted that it has been over a decade since new stations were put in, and longer since a project of this magnitude has been taken on in the cosmetology classrooms.
“The addition of the esthetics program created a perfect opportunity to renovate all three classrooms. We were able to purchase needed materials in part with Perkins grant monies. The equipment is state of the art, high tech and comprehensive for the work our students will be doing in the field,” shared CTI Principal Nick Millas. “We are grateful to Facilities & Operations for bringing this to fruition and all the hard work they put in this summer.”
In the esthetics classroom, a fresh coat of paint paved the way for new countertops, cabinets and sinks, along with a washer and dryer, ventilation, and 10 work stations. This new class will prepare students for a career in the skincare industry.
“The work in these classrooms was so multifaceted in terms of the mechanicals involved, including plumbing, electrical and HVAC. We were able to handle all of those skill sets in house. It was a high level job and it was pretty impressive to see our team come together and make it happen,” shared Bender.
Another large project on campus is being completed with the help of KG+D, Ferrari & Sons Inc., Ashley Mechanical and Stone Creek Electric. The Dutchess BOCES print shop is currently split between two buildings. One is at Dutchess BOCES campus and the other at Union Vale Middle School in Arlington. Soon, it will have one home at 5 BOCES Road. The print shop, part of the communications division, provides shared services to the BOCES and component districts.
Dutchess BOCES print shop prints calendars, brochures, forms, passes, posters, envelopes, postcards and a variety of other products. “We serve nearly all Dutchess County school districts and look forward to re-unifying our print shop employees and equipment in one location. This, combined with the purchase of some new equipment, should create efficiencies that allow us to move jobs through the pipeline quicker,” Communications Director Irwin Goldberg said.
Smaller projects around the campus for the Facilities and Operations team include installing new padding and windows at the Salt Point Center gym, replacing flooring in a suite at SPC, and adding a closet in the Resilience Academy.
The team’s important work continues year-round.
Bender looks forward to a project this fall that will support a connection between Habitat for Humanity and construction students.
“We will create a 24’x24’ concrete platform by CTI where the class can work on their projects. Our work will include leveling the area, building a retaining wall, adding drainage and more,” he shared.
