Not long ago students and faculty bid farewell to the halls of the Salisbury Township school buildings as they looked forward to the summer months and the slower pace that summertime brings. For Bill Brackett and his maintenance crew, summer is the busiest time of the year and this summer is no exception.

In addition to the regular cleaning and maintenance jobs necessary to start the school year, the Salisbury Township schools are getting a more extensive refresh - most notably Salisbury Middle School.

Currently the middle school building is undergoing a major renovation to the HVAC system. According to Brackett, each room in the building, including the cafeteria and gym, is being outfitted with a new air conditioning unit and ductwork that will more efficiently disperse cool air into the room while controlling humidity. Carpets are being removed in classrooms and drop ceilings will be added in an effort to reduce noise levels. Existing fluorescent lighting will be removed and new, more efficient LED light fixtures will be installed.

Once contractors have completed the installation, Brackett and his staff of 19 will turn their attention to the cleanup process which will take place in mid-August so school can begin on time.

In the meantime, mowing and weeding needs to be done at every district building including the softball field behind the former Western Elementary School building. New dugouts have already been installed and much of the work was done in-house which saved the district $25,000. Staff worked hard to prepare the grounds so prefabricated dugouts could be easily dropped in place.

Salisbury High School is seeing its fair share of upgrades as well. A new exterior security system is being installed and staff has been running lines throughout the building. This project comes at no cost to the district since the wiring is being done by maintenance staff and the system itself is being paid for with grant money.

In addition to stripping, waxing and buffing floors until they gleam, several staff members completed a tiling project on a wall in the art room. A much-needed second kiln has been ordered and the tiling was necessary due to the high heat generated when the kiln is in use.

At Salisbury Elementary School, work to repair the damage caused by flooding in several classrooms is continuing in addition to repairs in the health room which sustained damage after a pipe burst causing water damage to the floors.

Gone are the 6-foot apart pandemic era circular floor markers and the sticky residue they leave behind. Floors are being stripped, cleaned and buffed to a high gloss in every corner of the building.

Stair treads are another project Brackett expects will be completed before school begins. Many of the original treads are cracked or missing and for safety’s sake they will be replaced.

District Superintendent Lynn Fuini-Hetten said, “The facilities team, led by Director of Facilities, Safety and Security Bill Brackett, have been working diligently to ensure our facilities are safe and clean for our students as they return to our buildings this fall.” She went on to express her genuine appreciation for the “focus and dedication of the facilities staff as summer is one of the busiest and most demanding times of the year.”

The 2023-2024 school year will begin with an orientation day for students in grades kindergarten, five and nine Aug. 28. All students will report for the first day of school Aug. 29.