Tag: Program Areas

Renovations Update from the Tech Director’s Desk

From the Technical Center Director’s Desk

 Renovation Project:  Jobs Now and for the Future

We are at a juncture in our decision making on the continued renovations to the out buildings and to aging infrastructure in several of our program areas.  It has been impossible to miss the daily articles about the economy and State budget difficulties.  Add to this the recent sentiments of the Commissioner of Education, who is recommending further belt tightening, and one might think that the time is not ripe to ask voters for money.  I would argue that now may be the right time. 

As I watched the renovations taking place to the Power Mechanics / Forestry building it was not hard to see that local contractors are hiring local employees.  Having been in education for many years in this area, I should not have been surprised when many of the workers reintroduced themselves to me as their former principal at their high school or as a former student of the Technical Center.  They shared stories and brought me up to date on their families including children that they are now very proud to call their own. Running a close second to the pride in their upbringing and their families, was the pride in the work that they do. 

This made me realize that the Stafford project is a bootstrap stimulus package funded by Vermonters for Vermonters. Gone are the days when we can rely only upon the State or Federal government to be the primary funding source for a local project. 

My job is to seek support for the Stafford bond issue.  In so doing, I will suggest that the Stafford renovation project is an opportunity to put local dollars to work in a manner that will support our local businesses and simultaneously create educational opportunities for people to enhance their training and skills for future employment.  The project is one that supports jobs now and helps support Vermont’s future employees. 

For example, the benefits of renovating the Electrical/ Plumbing building extend beyond the daytime high school program.  The facility will be set up to be a training site for boiler technicians who must now travel to White River Junction for training and certification.  The facility will also be the future training site for any alternative fuel and/or renewable energy education that is undertaken by Stafford Technical Center.  

Why now?  Stafford Technical Center was constructed in the late 1970’s.  As part of that construction two temporary storage facilities were built, one for equipment and the other to house a forestry program.  Over time a majority of the main building has undergone replacement of the heating and ventilation system, roof replacement as well as other maintenance and health and safety updates.  Each of these changes has been accomplished within the regular budget in combination with a major Federal grant.      

Because of the age of the out buildings, work has begun to renovate them so that they will be available for use for the next 40 years.  The STC Regional Advisory Board, with support from the Rutland Public Schools Board of School Commissioners has completed Phase I of the overall facilities plan. 

 

Phase I

Summer 2009      Renovate Power/Mechanics Forestry Building   

September – October 2009      Work with NBF Architects

  1. Design cost for Phases II and III
  2. Project cost for Phases II and III

 

December 2009    Budget including first financing payment

Funding was proactively managed to allow for the work accomplished in Phase I.  However, Phase II will be more costly.  Estimates are now available for completion of the project.  Ed Clark from NBF has compiled information that suggests that Phases II and III should cost approximately $1,368,953.

Phase II

Project components:                                            

Summer 2010     

  1. Renovate Electrical Plumbing and Creative Structures building:  internal renovations, new exterior and roof.
  2. Upgrade Automotive Technology heating and ventilation, floor epoxy and paint as needed.
  3. Convert Welding Lab and Room 107 to Power Mechanics use.
  4. Upgrade Automotive Refinishing heating and ventilation, floor epoxy and paint as needed.
  5. Update Campus Common grounds store, flooring, counters, doorway to Heritage Family Credit Union.
  6. Fire safety and code requirement updates in main building.

 

Phase III

Project components:

Spring 2011        

Interactive Television will relocate, freeing up space for main building interior renovations and program movement that will result in Cosmetology opening in the fall of 2011.

Summer 2011     

1.  Convert rooms 114,116,118 into Cosmetology.                          

2.  Move CAD to room 208.                                                              

3.  Move Music to the vacated Interactive Television space.

4.  Move academics to room 108.

Fall 2011    Cosmetology opens                          

The FY11 budget includes the initial payment on a bond for the completion of the project.  Payments would be spread over 15 years.  This project must be voted on (the bond) by Rutland City taxpayers because STC is legally part of Rutland City Schools.  However, as a technical center STC is not funded like other Rutland City schools and its costs do not have as direct an impact on local property tax rates.  This results from technical centers being funded primarily through direct State aid.  What is not funded by direct State aid is shared pro-rata from all sending towns or cities, of which Rutland City is one, albeit the largest single “sender”, accounting for about 25% of Stafford’s enrollment.  All other towns represent 75% of total enrollment and they pay the same per student cost that Rutland City pays for each of their enrolled students.  As a result, this is truly a County-wide project that is State and county-wide financed, but voted on by Rutland City voters for the benefit of all.

Is now the time to act?  The answer to that question may come from how we answer the following questions.   Each, of course, is a leading question.  

  1. Are we comfortable with the teaching and learning environment that we currently use?
  2. Can we respond rapidly to the current needs of our students and the needs of our local economy in the space that is now available to us?
  3. Does our current educational space position Stafford Technical Center in a flexible manner for the changes required of us in the future?
  4. Can we afford not to act?

For more information, contact Lyle Jepson, Director at 802-770-1030.

Tool Tours

Kindergartners from Northwest School listen intently as Steve Briggs, Stafford Technical Center’s Computer Technology Instructor demonstrates how a “Bo-Bot” works.  The children participated in  Stafford’s annual Tool Tours Program where they have the opportunity to have their first glimpse of a technical center.   Students and Instructors from Stafford’s  Computer Technology, Culinary, Automotive Technology, Construction Technology, and Electrical/Plumbing engaged them in activities that modeled what is taught in their program areas.

Renovations Update from the Tech Director’s Desk

From the Technical Center Director’s Desk

 

Renovation Project:  Jobs Now and for the Future

We are at a juncture in our decision making on the continued renovations to the out buildings and to aging infrastructure in several of our program areas.  It has been impossible to miss the daily articles about the economy and State budget difficulties.  Add to this the recent sentiments of the Commissioner of Education, who is recommending further belt tightening, and one might think that the time is not ripe to ask voters for money.  I would argue that now may be the right time. 

As I watched the renovations taking place to the Power Mechanics / Forestry building it was not hard to see that local contractors are hiring local employees.  Having been in education for many years in this area, I should not have been surprised when many of the workers reintroduced themselves to me as their former principal at their high school or as a former student of the Technical Center.  They shared stories and brought me up to date on their families including children that they are now very proud to call their own. Running a close second to the pride in their upbringing and their families, was the pride in the work that they do. 

This made me realize that the Stafford project is a bootstrap stimulus package funded by Vermonters for Vermonters. Gone are the days when we can rely only upon the State or Federal government to be the primary funding source for a local project. 

My job is to seek support for the Stafford bond issue.  In so doing, I will suggest that the Stafford renovation project is an opportunity to put local dollars to work in a manner that will support our local businesses and simultaneously create educational opportunities for people to enhance their training and skills for future employment.  The project is one that supports jobs now and helps support Vermont’s future employees. 

For example, the benefits of renovating the Electrical/ Plumbing building extend beyond the daytime high school program.  The facility will be set up to be a training site for boiler technicians who must now travel to White River Junction for training and certification.  The facility will also be the future training site for any alternative fuel and/or renewable energy education that is undertaken by Stafford Technical Center.  

Why now?  Stafford Technical Center was constructed in the late 1970’s.  As part of that construction two temporary storage facilities were built, one for equipment and the other to house a forestry program.  Over time a majority of the main building has undergone replacement of the heating and ventilation system, roof replacement as well as other maintenance and health and safety updates.  Each of these changes has been accomplished within the regular budget in combination with a major Federal grant.      

Because of the age of the out buildings, work has begun to renovate them so that they will be available for use for the next 40 years.  The STC Regional Advisory Board, with support from the Rutland Public Schools Board of School Commissioners has completed Phase I of the overall facilities plan. 

 

Phase I

Summer 2009      Renovate Power/Mechanics Forestry Building   

September – October 2009      Work with NBF Architects

  1. Design cost for Phases II and III
  2. Project cost for Phases II and III

 

December 2009    Budget including first financing payment

Funding was proactively managed to allow for the work accomplished in Phase I.  However, Phase II will be more costly.  Estimates are now available for completion of the project.  Ed Clark from NBF has compiled information that suggests that Phases II and III should cost approximately $1,368,953.

Phase II

Project components:                                            

Summer 2010     

  1. Renovate Electrical Plumbing and Creative Structures building:  internal renovations, new exterior and roof.
  2. Upgrade Automotive Technology heating and ventilation, floor epoxy and paint as needed.
  3. Convert Welding Lab and Room 107 to Power Mechanics use.
  4. Upgrade Automotive Refinishing heating and ventilation, floor epoxy and paint as needed.
  5. Update Campus Common grounds store, flooring, counters, doorway to Heritage Family Credit Union.
  6. Fire safety and code requirement updates in main building.

 

Phase III

Project components:

Spring 2011        

Interactive Television will relocate, freeing up space for main building interior renovations and program movement that will result in Cosmetology opening in the fall of 2011.

Summer 2011     

1.  Convert rooms 114,116,118 into Cosmetology.                          

2.  Move CAD to room 208.                                                              

3.  Move Music to the vacated Interactive Television space.

4.  Move academics to room 108.

Fall 2011    Cosmetology opens                          

The FY11 budget includes the initial payment on a bond for the completion of the project.  Payments would be spread over 15 years.  This project must be voted on (the bond) by Rutland City taxpayers because STC is legally part of Rutland City Schools.  However, as a technical center STC is not funded like other Rutland City schools and its costs do not have as direct an impact on local property tax rates.  This results from technical centers being funded primarily through direct State aid.  What is not funded by direct State aid is shared pro-rata from all sending towns or cities, of which Rutland City is one, albeit the largest single “sender”, accounting for about 25% of Stafford’s enrollment.  All other towns represent 75% of total enrollment and they pay the same per student cost that Rutland City pays for each of their enrolled students.  As a result, this is truly a County-wide project that is State and county-wide financed, but voted on by Rutland City voters for the benefit of all.

Is now the time to act?  The answer to that question may come from how we answer the following questions.   Each, of course, is a leading question.  

  1. Are we comfortable with the teaching and learning environment that we currently use?
  2. Can we respond rapidly to the current needs of our students and the needs of our local economy in the space that is now available to us?
  3. Does our current educational space position Stafford Technical Center in a flexible manner for the changes required of us in the future?
  4. Can we afford not to act?

For more information, contact Lyle Jepson, Director at 802-770-1030.

Stafford begins Physical Plant Renovation Project

Stafford Technical Center is getting a makeover; sort of. In reality, we are in the early stages of a three year project to renovate our program space which will allow for more flexibility in our program areas.  The Regional Advisory Board approved funding for the first phase which will be underway this summer.

The project will commence with the repair and restoration of the Forestry/Power Mechanics Building on the east side of the campus. The goal is to upgrade the heating/ventilation, mechanical systems and energy retro-fits.  Over the next few years, renovations will expand to include the rehabilitation of the Electrical/Plumbing building, Automotive Technology and Automotive Refinishing Labs. Future relocation of several existing programs to different classroom spaces will eventually result in the launch of Stafford’s Cosmetology Program in the fall of 2011.

Stafford’s long term vision is to have quality, energy efficient classroom spaces that meet the educational needs of the 21st century workforce.