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District details boiler replacements, greenhouse work and ESSIP lighting; heating issues flagged at Lincoln Avenue School
Summary
Facilities staff reported new boilers, greenhouse reconstruction and ESSIP interior‑lighting upgrades at John Robert Lewis and Heywood Avenue schools; board members pressed for fixes to chronic heating problems at Lincoln Avenue School and were told the district will standardize building‑management systems.
Facilities staff reviewed November work and near‑term projects at the Dec. 11 board meeting.
Mr. Vasquez described projects completed or underway: new boilers at the administration building (including flue installation), reconstruction of the greenhouse, playground repairs and pipe work at Orange High School, and replacement of damaged furniture and floor tiles. He said the district will introduce a Facilitron work‑order program in January to streamline requests and tracking.
As part of the ESSIP (Energy Savings and Infrastructure Investment Program) effort, Mr. Vasquez said interior LED lighting has been installed at John Robert Lewis and is underway at Heywood Avenue School, with plans to address exterior lighting in coordination with PSE&G. He told the board that by the end of the holiday break stakeholders should see noticeable improvements in building lighting.
Board members raised persistent heating concerns at Lincoln Avenue School. Board member Siaka Sherif recounted long‑standing heat problems and said the situation needs decisive repairs; Jeffrey Wingfield asked whether the facilities team had inspected Lincoln Avenue to address excessive heat in classrooms. Mr. Vasquez confirmed heat availability districtwide but explained that older steam pipes and an outdated ATC/BMS (automatic temperature control/building‑management system) complicate repairs. He said Trane will implement a modernized control system on a phased basis and the district plans to standardize maintenance under a limited set of vendors to improve response times.
Mr. Vasquez also explained the decision to replace an original rug from Mary Lawn at STEM after repeated cleaning failed to remove odor and stains and said the district would replace another problematic rug the following day.
Next steps: Facilitron will launch in January; facilities staff will continue ESSIP interior upgrades and coordinate with PSE&G on exterior lighting and agreed to follow up on Lincoln Avenue heating concerns.
