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FREWSBURG -- Frewsburg Central School's capital project for 2024 was passed following a vote on Tuesday, Dec.12.
The project is set to cost $14.3 million dollars. The project will focus on areas in all of the buildings, specifically; updating 15 instructional spaces in the middle/high school -- including two science rooms --, replacing select middle and high school ventilation systems, replacing the middle/high school generator, renovating the island in front of the middle/high school, enlarging the kitchen at Robert H Jackson Elementary, upgrading the elementary's electrical service, improving site lighting in the elementary school parking lots and replacing the track.
The vote taken on Tuesday passed with 77 yes votes and 56 no votes.
Superintendent Shelly O'Boyle said for the Robert H Jackson Elementary School, the proposed work on the kitchen will expand the space.
"Our cafeteria crew served approximately 39,000 breakfasts and over 43,000 lunches, for a total of over 82,000 meals during the 2022-2023 school year," O'Boyle said. "All of this was done in a kitchen that is way too small. Proposed work will increase work areas and freezer space."
The electrical service upgrade is set to stop the breakers from popping every day, which O'Boyle said disrupts learning and is a definite need to be fixed. Lighting to the bus loop and back parking lot off of Meadow Lane will be added, as the conduit for the lighting was put in during the last project.
Work at the Middle/High School is for very important upgrades, O'Boyle said.
"Over 350 students walk our halls on a daily basis and our building is used for extracurricular activities as well as by the community many nights of the week," O'Boyle said. "With all of this use comes wear and tear that must be kept up with."
Classrooms that will be updated are; five classrooms in the B wing and 10 on the second floor, along with two science rooms. Repairs will focus on ceilings, floors and plumbing along with replacing metal walls to help with noise overflow into adjacent rooms. Windows in the classroom will also be reduced for safety purposes.
The middle/high school is also in need of replacing the ventilation system, generator and island at the front of the building.
O'Boyle said the island is in bad condition and is also one of the first things people see when they come to the school.
"It is the first area that is seen by the community and outsiders," O'Boyle said. "This area requires much needed attention and rejuvenation."
The last area that the capital project focuses on is a complete renovation of the track. Cracks in the surface of the track were filled during the last project in order to "limp the track along", but more is now needed.
"Since I came to the district I have had many people talk to me about improvement of our fields, specifically an addition of a turf athletic complex," O'Boyle said. "Many people have even provided pictures and thoughts about a complex that would look like other districts, including turf baseball, softball, football, and soccer fields."
Based on allowable aid, the school district determined the best plan for the track and fields is to have a design that will cost $3.7 million and include a grass football field, grass soccer field, a six lane track, a pole vault, a high jump and triple jump and with the existing baseball field to remain the same. O'Boyle said this plan was the one that was doable, allowable by state, and aidable.
The tentative timeline for the project sees the track being done in the summer of 2025, the high school second floor classrooms in the summer of 2026 and the middle school B wing, science classrooms, and elementary school upgrades happening in the summer of 2027. O'Boyle said the timeline may change as the school continues to work with their architects for the project, Young and Wright.
O'Boyle thanked the community for its continued support which allows the district to make needed improvements in all of these areas.