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Public commenters press board on BOCES construction safety; community member urges aid for families fearful of ICE enforcement
Summary
During public comment, a resident described active construction, paint fumes and ventilation concerns at BOCES; a student reported headaches and safety incidents. Margo Sanchez urged the district to expand resources for families worried about ICE enforcement.
Multiple community members used the board’s public‑comment period on Oct. 14 to raise safety and civil‑rights concerns tied to regional services.
A resident described recent communications with BOCES staff and said she found active painting and construction happening while her granddaughter and other students attended classes there. "There is active construction and active painting, not touch up, but full painting, full walls going on while those kids are still in that class," the resident said, and she cited ventilation and air‑quality worries, missing classroom doors and double doors that do not lock during lockdown drills.
The resident asked board staff to verify what is happening at the BOCES facility and requested written communication from BOCES leadership; board members agreed to follow up and explore whether a walkthrough while students are present could be scheduled.
A BOCES student who spoke separately described crowded, open learning spaces and said ventilation spread paint fumes that caused headaches. The student said classrooms lacked tools, cameras and supervision in some attached areas; they also reported a threat incident involving a box cutter and said the school lacked video evidence because of limited camera coverage.
"So I sit there for 2 hours in an electrical class...it smells like fumes with a headache all day," the student said.
Margo Sanchez, a parent from Marbletown, urged the district to do more to help families anxious about increased ICE enforcement. She cited a recent federal funding increase for enforcement and asked the district to expand outreach and community connections to resources such as immigrant‑defense networks. "In this moment, I would like to ask the district leaders to go further...to address students and families' fears and needs related to ICE," Sanchez said.
Board members acknowledged the seriousness of both sets of comments and discussed arranging follow‑up contact and a walkthrough; staff noted that previous visits to the BOCES site occurred when students were not present and agreed to seek a time to visit while classes are in session and to coordinate with administrators.
