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Scrubbing precedes studying
Sat, Jul 15, 2006
By LAUREN McCALLISTER The Brunswick NewsWith an ongoing debate to seek a sales tax increase to pay for new school buildings and renovations unresolved, school Facilities Director Al Boudreau is doing all he can to make sure buildings are fit to open in a few weeks for a new school year – pretty much, as they are. Boudreau said a large portion of his $4.5 million maintenance budget is spent on projects being completed during summer months.Projects like a new wood floor for the Brunswick High School gym and additional restrooms for pre-kindergarten classrooms at Burroughs-Molette Elementary School can each cost as much as $60,000. And with a list of summer projects tallying over 30, Boudreau said it is amazing the amount of work that gets done in the short time period."The staff does a tremendous amount of work during these few short months," Boudreau said.
The Leaps and Bounds preschool program at Burroughs-Molette Elementary School has a newly constructed restroom, which Joey Hale, school system carpenter, tapes off after it was painted. (Bobby Haven/The Brunswick News)
| Joey Hale of Brunswick has been working for the Glynn County school system just less than a year and said, unlike teachers, administrators and students, his busiest time is during summer.As part of the maintenance team, Hale is one of many responsible for making sure the school facilities are in tip-top shape for the new school year.As the facilities undergo rounds of deep cleaning, renovations and detail work, Hale said the best months to complete the bulk of the work are June and July when the schools are empty.Traditionally, it has been these times that are the busiest for the maintenance and operations department of the Glynn County system."The kids aren't here and we get a lot more done when they're not here," Hale said. "We've got to do what we've got to do."In addition to the new gym floor and additional restrooms, the project list ranges from large items such as the Glynn Academy cafeteria renovation and the addition of two more classrooms at Brunswick High School to smaller items like prepping shrub beds for pine straw and irrigation system repairs.Boudreau said every carpet, floor and hallway will be cleaned, scrubbed or waxed in order to look as good as new, or at least as good as possible, for the beginning of school on Aug. 9."I beg and encourage people to go see their local schools," Boudreau said. "None of these schools is in deplorable condition."Beth Dykes, a local coordinator of the special education pre-school program, said readying schools for students is an important component of the academic environment."Children respond to their environment," Dykes said. "The school needs to be clean, and have everything where it's supposed to be. It has to do with the success of the school."Dykes said she is impressed with the work of the facilities team."To have it all ready, I'm amazed," she said. "They've done just a wonderful job."
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