Improvement and Maintenance of Our Facilities

By
Kevin D. Case

A major responsibility of the Board of Education is the oversight and maintenance of Canton’s school facilities. The Canton Public School System is comprised of three school buildings: Cherry Brook Primary School, housing Grades Pre-K through 3; Canton Intermediate School, housing Grades 4 through 6; and Canton Middle School and Canton High School, located in one campus facility, housing Grades 7 through 12.

To address ongoing facilities needs, a Facilities Subcommittee of the Board of Education was formed comprised of representatives of the Board of Education, the district’s Business Manager, and me, the Superintendent of Schools. This subcommittee has the responsibility to ensure that our students and the Canton community are provided with safe and modern facilities and equipment that support the extraordinary educational opportunities our students are engaged in.

As we prepare our District Budget for the 2011-2012 school year, one of the areas we look at is the improvement and maintenance of our facilities. Throughout this process, we identify Capital Improvement Projects, which are long range and long term in nature. These projects range from roof replacement to comprehensive renovation or replacement and are normally above the $50,000 threshold. We also identify Current Operating Projects, which are projects that are preventative-based and can be accomplished during the fiscal year to prevent further deterioration of the facility. These projects can range up to $50,000.

During the 2009-2010 fiscal year, due to effective management of the district’s budget, the Board of Education was able to purchase equipment and furniture and accomplish projects to improve our schools. Examples include: new cafeteria tables for Canton High School; new performance risers for the stage at Canton Middle and High School; new lockers for the Canton High School locker room; refurbishment of bleachers in the gym at Canton Middle and High School; renovation of the locker room and weight room/wrestling room at Canton High School; and the replacement of the back windows at Cherry Brook Primary School which will result in energy cost savings to the District.

It is at this time of the year that we solicit input from the public as to what projects you feel are necessary to upgrade our school facilities. The Board of Education and I look forward to working with all members of the Canton community throughout the budget process as we look to continuously improve our school system.

Please send me your thoughts or questions at kcase@cantonschools.org.

I wish you and your family a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.