Orange-Ulster BOCES advances safety upgrades as part of $158.8 million capital project
Key Highlights
- The project includes security system upgrades, HVAC modernization, and infrastructure repairs to enhance safety and comfort.
- Construction will expand instructional spaces, including new classrooms, labs, a digital media studio, and a multipurpose room.
- Orange-Ulster BOCES plans to improve badge management and access control practices in line with audit recommendations.
- Upgrades aim to support technical programs such as welding, HVAC, carpentry, and digital media, preparing students for careers.
- The initiative exemplifies how educational institutions can combine physical upgrades with operational improvements for comprehensive safety.
The New York-based Orange-Ulster BOCES (Board of Cooperative Educational Services) recently announced it is advancing safety and infrastructure upgrades at its two campuses in Goshen, N.Y., as work continues on a voter-approved, $158.8 million capital improvement project, according to reporting by Mid Hudson News.
The program has entered a major construction phase at the Career and Technical Education Center on Gibson Road and includes improvements intended to enhance building security, modernize aging infrastructure, and expand instructional capacity. Planned facilities work includes enhanced security systems, modernized heating and ventilation equipment, electrical and plumbing upgrades, new lighting, roof and window replacements, and measures intended to improve indoor air quality—and also extends beyond construction and building systems, according to Mid Hudson News.
A recent audit by the New York State Comptroller’s Office recommended that Orange-Ulster BOCES strengthen how it manages building-access badges issued to employees. Assistant Superintendent Mark Coleman said the organization plans to implement the recommended practices and process improvements before students return for the upcoming school year.
The larger capital program will also add shop classrooms, upgrade science and technical laboratories, create a digital film studio and multipurpose room, and renovate existing instructional spaces. The programs expected to benefit most directly from the work include welding, HVAC, carpentry, electrical trades, cosmetology, computer networking, architecture, engineering, heavy-equipment operation, and digital media.
Why this matters
The Orange-Ulster BOCES program demonstrates how education agencies can incorporate physical security, access-control procedures, indoor air quality, and aging building systems into a coordinated capital plan. Pairing construction upgrades with changes to employee credential management also underscores that effective school security depends on both facility investments and consistent operational practices.