3
Southern Ulster Times, Wednesday, September 11, 2019
Marlboro welcomes a new school year
By MARK REYNOLDS
[email protected]
Last Wednesday the Marlboro Central
School District kicked off the 2019-20 school
year. Superintendent Michael Brooks said
kids coming back to the campuses was a
welcome sound.
“The beginning of each year is so
exciting for the children; seeing them come
back to the hallways brings our school
back to life,” he said. “Looking at how
they are going to develop their future each
year is just such a wonderful experience
for each of them as you watch them, wide-
eyed, walking in our doors.”
Brooks said the kids returning reminds
him of his own time in school.
“As you see that you kind of remember
your own time when you were in school,”
he said. “It’s exciting seeing the little ones
go into school and the big ones too.”
Prior to his career in administration,
Brooks was a Middle School science
teacher for 11 years.
Last Thursday Brooks and the school
board met at the Middle School and before
darkness fell they walked out to the playing
field to discuss what future upgrades might
be needed in this area of the facility.
“I wanted make sure the board saw the
space before we started talking about it
because once you’re out there you can get
a feel for what the space is and what it’s
not,” he said. “Now as we go through the
fall we’re going to spend some real time
looking at it, talking with our architect,
talking with our leadership team and the
The buses are lined up at the Elementary School ready to take kids home.
board, saying this is what we have, what is
it we want it to become and how do we get
there.”
Brooks said any work in this area is
separate from the Vision 2020 Capital
Project that voters approved last May. He
said the NYS Education Department funds
certain infrastructure projects for schools
that has a $100,000 limit.
“You get your full aid on that $100,000
project the next year so you don’t have
to spread it out over 10 years, you get it
immediately,” he said, adding that in the
past this funding was used to pay for HVAC
work that was done at the Middle School.
“This year we’re contemplating what’s
the $100,000 project we’ll do this year; we
haven’t really landed on it yet.”
Brooks said one suggestion is to replace
the rusting perimeter fencing, estimated at
$80,000.
“We’re exploring that with ourselves
administratively and then we’ll talk to the
board about options,” he said. “We have
to make sure that whatever we do is long-
lasting.”
More photos on page 24
Para-professional Christy DeNatale directs kids to their correct buses on the first day of school at the Middle School.