School district rooms and hallways continue to be busy places this summer as the custodial staff of Robert Gomes, the schools’ supervisor of buildings and grounds, prepares for September and the arrival of students. Five buildings have work being done.
At the high school, a new drop ceiling is in place in anticipation of the installation of an air conditioning unit on the roof next summer. The current AC unit is 20 years old. Gomes, who is beginning his third year here, said he knows this from the serial number on the unit.
A chain link fence to hide the dumpsters in the school parking lot will be installed. The fence will be concealed by faux hedging. That should be done this week.
The replacement of cooling condenser units for the cafeteria’s walk-in refrigerator is scheduled.
“Rather than lose food, we’ll replace them,” Gomes said last week in his Central School office. “They broke down a few times. I don’t know how old they are, but they’re pretty old.”
Basic cleaning is on the schedule, too.
“We remove everything from the hallways and classrooms,” he continued. “We clean everything; clean the classroom, sanitize the walls. It’s a two-step process. You clean first then you disinfect. You disinfect a clean surface. The floors are stripped and waxed in every room. Every summer, every building, that’s the process in all five buildings. Some of the hallways and classrooms will also be painted to get the schools ready.”
Most work is being done by Gomes’ 17 full-time custodial workers and his maintenance worker, Ahmad Mohamed, a licensed plumber, electrician and a 33-year district employee.
“Being a maintenance worker is a different skill level,” Gomes added.
Outside vendors are also employed for some work.
At Ridgewood Avenue School, one classroom is being remodeled. Painting and carpentry is being done in this room and new ceiling and floor tiles are being installed.
As for painting, Gomes said only a few colors are used in the district to prevent waste. Classrooms are painted in neutral Navajo White or Gray Owl. The railings and doors get the color: Ol’ Blue Eyes.
“It’s cost-effective,” he said, “to buy in bulk and use most of it.”
The school’s clay roof is being repaired. Water was leaking into hallways and rooms.
The main hallway flooring at Forest Avenue School will be new. Vinyl composite tile will replace carpeting.
“I think carpeting is becoming only a media center and study hall thing,” Gomes said.
The change, he said, is primarily because of the pandemic. A vinyl floor is easier to disinfect than carpeting, when even a sneeze may be cause for concern. Forest Avenue will also have new LED lighting in the main hallway this September. That work is being done in-house.
At Linden Avenue School, air conditioning units in the main office, the principal’s office and the nurse’s office are being replaced.
Central School is not seeing any replacement work being done although outside Gomes’ office, classroom desks lined the hallway.
“We’re not doing anything here except cleaning,” he said. “It’s a new building and whatever painting we can do is at the end.”
Outside vendors did the roof, air conditioner, refrigerator and flooring work for the district. The custodial staff did the cleaning, painting and moved the furniture.
“For all the schools, except Central, a vendor is installing a new card access system to get into the building,” Gomes said.
Once inside these particular school buildings, keys are used to open interior doors.
“At Central, there’s already a card system for the external and internal doors,” he said.
Gomes wore his card around his neck, on a lanyard. When he placed the card near a small screen beneath the door knob, the door unlocked.
As for the grounds, an outside vendor fertilized and aerated the grass at the high school and Ridgewood Avenue School. There was also some repair work to the lawn sprinkler systems at both schools.
Schools made ready for coming year added by Daniel Jackovino on
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