- Editor's Note: Thanks to Ellen Lane for sharing the news on Patch.
Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES received approval last week to proceed with a $16.9 million plan to renovate its facilities over the next three years.
The green light came when the Brewster, Mahopac and Chappaqua school boards reversed earlier votes rejecting the proposal, making consent for the plan unanimous among the 18 districts in the region.
The plan calls for installing new roofs on eight buildings, re-coating the roof on one building, upgrading heating and ventilation systems, upgrading a fire alarm and public address system and replacing an existing therapy pool with two smaller units.
“We’re grateful for the support and partnership of our component districts in recognizing the need for the proposed work," BOCES Superintendent James Langlois said. "We look forward to providing our staff and our students with a better working and learning environment as the result of this project.”
BOCES trimmed its original capital project plan by more than $2 million after six school districts rejected it last spring. The lion’s share of the reductions came from changes to the therapy pool portion of the proposal.
Rather than refurbish the existing pool, the plan now calls for filling in the pool and installing two 8-foot-by-12-foot Hydroworx 2000 series Therapy Pools. In addition to saving money, the sophisticated functionality of the pools will allow for more effective therapy for BOCES’ students.
Other reductions were the result of changes in materials, engineering and methodology used.
To keep communications open between BOCES and its component districts, Langlois said BOCES has created two advisory committees.
“We’ve created a Component District Facilities Advisory Committee, which already has had its first meeting, to work with us throughout the project, and another Committee on the Future of BOCES will begin meeting in January,” he said.
