Asbestos abatement, the first step of the heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) upgrade portion of the approximately $9 million capital project at Scotchtown Avenue Elementary School, was completed in early July. Because the unit ventilators to be installed are larger than the older units, one row of tile replacement was required in each classroom.
Currently workers are installing the unit ventilators – the actual blowers in the classroom – and connecting power and control wiring to the ventilators and the condensing units installed on the roof.
While the SAS ceilings are open to pull cables and reinstall electric, enhanced security upgrades, including new cameras and IT infrastructure, will be installed. Funds for these improvements come from the general fund – and because the upgrades are purchased through BOCES, 66 percent of the cost will be reimbursed by the state next year.
Bottom: New ventilator units are currently being installed in each classroom once the old units are removed.
Flooring replacement at C.J. Hooker Middle School has also begun as of the week of July 10. Three classrooms will have floors replaced using $100,000 in capital outlay funds, or capital funds reimbursable by the state at an 80 percent rate next year.
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kurtis Kotes said although C.J. Hooker is 100 years old and requires the most work, the reimbursable capital outlay funds max out at $100,000 annually.
“We plan to replace flooring in three classrooms each year using these funds if possible,” he said.
The Board of Education also approved our architecture and engineering firm LAN Associates to move forward with the roof refurbishment project at Goshen Intermediate School. It will be completed the same way the refurbishment project was done at SAS this past spring.
As of July, a thermal scan of the GIS roof was completed and areas with acquired moisture will be remediated. The roof will be refurbished and protected from leaks using a Tremco roof coating, a seamless polymer that carries a 25-year guarantee.
This project is cost-effective compared to a complete roof replacement, Kotes explained, and is slated to take place over the course of four to six weeks during the spring of 2024.