New Power for Burke Town School
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- Created on Monday, 30 November 2015 17:01
- Written by Abbey Greene
BURKE – The installation of a new power generator at the Burke Town School is now complete, making the school safer for the students and more reliable for the community. The generator is a part of the school's five-year plan, and is only one of the improvements they plan to make.
School Board Chairman Tony DeMasi explains, “We planned for this when we did the boiler project last year, this would be part of the next step in it the year after.”
With the help of Lyndonville Electric, Catamount Electric and Milton Cat, the generator is now operational. It is tested weekly to make sure it will start in an emergency.
The $55,000 cost was covered by USDA grants awarded to the school, as well as savings the school put aside in a capital reserve account. Facilities manager Marc Brown says that it was money well spent.
“We wanted to make sure that we had a system that would keep the facilities up and running for the safety of the children and staff.”
Not only does the generator ensure better school safety, it also allows the Burke Town School campus to be considered an emergency shelter. “So it is a good thing for the whole community and the campus,” remarks Brown.
The installation process finished in October, and Brown says more upgrades should be on the way.
“It all depends on what happens with Act 46. We’ve got some possibilities of expansions and upgrading one of our older buildings, but we just have to wait and see for now.”