BVT upgrades include roof fixes, new labs, COVID-19 safety
At Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School, newly self-renovated spaces will enhance the BVT learning experience. With projects, preventative maintenance, and upgrades completed over the summer in addition to routine cleaning, prepping, and polishing to prepare the school building and grounds, the Facilities Department will continue with renovations and enhancements this fall as students return to in-person classes on a two-week rotating basis.
Thirty-eight rooms received a fresh coat of paint. Lockers, classrooms, vocational shops, common areas, and corridors were cleaned and disinfected. The carpeting in the Digital Learning Commons was removed and replaced with a new rubberized floor recommended for the high traffic area. The fourth and final phase of the self-funded roof repair project is nearly complete; its energy efficiency results in cost savings.
With the aid of funds awarded by the Massachusetts Skills Capital Grant Program, BVT is adapting and maximizing its space, repurposing a section of the Business & Entrepreneurship shop to construct a Chapter 74 Biotech Lab. They are also renovating the current Chemistry Lab to support vocational and technical training. The Facilities Department will handle the electrical wiring for these lab projects at a cost-savings for the district.
The Human Resource Department, administrators, and staff interviewed and welcomed fourteen new staff members who replaced retirees and other transitional positions. Summer new hires included vocational faculty, academic teachers, and support staff with three new members joining the Facilities Department evening team. Members of the facilities team proudly maintain and routinely clean the facility and campus.
This year the return to school during a global health pandemic required specific enhancements in direct response to COVID-19. Some of the preparedness measures include but are not limited to modifications to the school nurses’ health care suite to reconfigure an isolated care center separate from the routine medical care space. Installation of clear plexiglass barriers in pre-identified areas, replacement of air filtration system with high-efficiency MERV-13 air filters, signage and decals designed in-house by Painting & Design for use in the cafeteria, classrooms, and common areas.
With health and safety a top priority, there are many new health and safety protocols to follow. The COVID-19 Health Guidelines are designed to keep the school community healthy. More information is available at www.valleytech.k12.ma.us/c19healthguidelines.
