Vo-tech to receive renovations, new name
FRANKLIN TWP. – When students return this fall to the Greene County Vocational-Technical School, they’ll enter a renovated facility with a new name. Work has been underway since April on a $4 million facelift to the school, which will now be known as the Greene County Career & Technology Center.
Walter Stout, consultant to the school for the renovation, said much of the work involved removing asbestos and making the building compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
“We were able to do some work during the school year, but a lot of this had to wait until the kids were out of the building,” he said. “Right now, we’re still on schedule to have everything done in August.”
The top priority, Stout said, was replacing the roof, which had been replaced once in 35 years.
The community room, which was built by students in the 1980s, will have a new roof and now have heating and air conditioning to make it a complete part of the facility, he said.
All of the rooms in the building will have new lighting and new floor tile, and the school’s heating and electrical systems were improved.
The culinary arts shop is an area undergoing extensive renovations, Stout said, which includes asbestos abatement and new construction. All classroom spaces are being improved, though some shops will have more work done than others.
The work during the school year required cooperation from students and staff alike, especially because the building had never gone through a renovation since it opened in 1970.
“No one knew what to expect, but everyone has done an excellent job,” Stout said.
Students got to see some of what their school will look like this fall as some of the classrooms were completed before the end of the academic year.
Jan Quailey, school director, said many students had the chance to help in the school’s improvement.
“The kids did some work, assisted, or watched,” she said. “The contractors talked to them and showed the students what can happen if the continue working in their chosen field.”
A proposal to renovate the school at a cost of $8 million was shot down by all five county school boards two years ago, but it was suggested that a scaled-down project would be more financially feasible for all the districts.
Each district in the county is paying toward the project, with the amount based on how much each district contributes to the county’s total market value.
Stout said the school received an additional $500,000 in grant money to help pay for additional heating, ventilation and air conditioning work that will be completed at a later time.
Quailey said the work will result in a new feeling at the school this fall.
“Given all the renovations and the change of the school name and some programs, there will be a sense of renewal and rejuvenation,” she said. “It will be a cleaner and brighter place.”
An estimated 370 students will attend the Greene County Career & Technology Center this fall, according to Quailey.