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Buildings & Grounds
The Building and Grounds Department at Goshen Central School District is responsible for the management and maintenance of district buildings and all fields and building grounds. The Buildings and Grounds Department strives to:
- Maintain a safe and healthy environment for students, staff and the community
- Enhance and improve district facilities
- Utilize a comprehensive preventative maintenance program to address daily building and grounds maintenance and long term facility issues
- Support repairs on electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and mechanical systems district-wide
- Follow district energy policies and guidelines
- Streamline productivity and ensure cost-effectiveness
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New York State Education Law requires schools to provide written notification to all parents/guardians and staff members regarding the potential use of pesticides periodically throughout the school year. The district maintains a list of all individuals who wish to receive 48-hour prior written notification of certain pesticide applications. If you would like to receive 48-hour notifications of pesticide applications that are scheduled to occur, please contact the director of Buildings and Grounds at (845) 615-6770.
In the event of an emergency application necessary to protect against an imminent threat to human health, a good faith effort will be made to supply written notification to those on the 48-hour prior notification list. Some pesticide applications are not subject to notification requirements, including anti-microbial products, EPA-designated biopesticides and exempt materials, and when a school remains unoccupied for a continuous 72-hours following an application. For more information on requirements, please contact Buildings and Grounds Director.
- Access more information about notification regarding the potential use of pesticides periodically throughout the school year and view the Board Policy on Integrated Pest Management.
- Integrated Pest Management Information
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School districts are also required to report the water testing results to the state and local departments of health, the New York State Education Department and district employees, parents and guardians.
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The Goshen Central School District is required to notify you when pesticide products may be used in school buildings throughout the year. Additionally, the district inspects all buildings that contain asbestos every three years and includes the results of those inspections in the asbestos management plan.
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The Buildings and Grounds Department handles most of its business in-house, versus outsourcing and paying for services. In inclement weather, department employees shovel, plow, sand, and salt walkways, roofs, and sidewalks. They also maintain and repair district vehicles such as trucks, plows, and mowers.
The district’s heating system – composed of 12 boilers – is also cleaned and repaired by school personnel in order to keep costs down. The boilers switch from natural gas to oil with the flick of a switch. If the cost of one resource goes up, the district can utilize the other.
Most of the district’s heating is managed on computer software. Trained employees can locate any heating problems in the schools, and the district doesn’t have to hire an outside company to manage the software.
The department also tightens spending by renting major equipment, such as bulldozers. Instead of paying an enormous amount for equipment that isn’t regularly used, it is rented when needed. Employees are trained to operate the equipment as well.
Besides maintaining the district’s 88 acres of athletic fields and custom-building bookcases and work spaces for classrooms, Buildings and Grounds staff are also responsible for keeping Goshen Central Schools spick and span. In fact, the district’s budget toward vandalism, such as graffiti and trash, is only $2,500.