Improved learning environment, new technology featured in summer UCS bond work
More than 60 facility improvements and new technology to support learning will greet Utica Community Schools students when they return on September 5.
Utica Community Schools is continuing a building improvement program this summer that was originally set into motion when district voters approved a $112.5 million bond in 2009.
This summer, projects across the district were completed to continue the district’s focus of improving addressing building safety and infrastructure needs identified in the district’s long-range facility planning, creating parity between district schools and upgrade technology.
“The bond projects this summer reflect the commitment we made to voters to protect the investment they have made in school facilities,” Dr. Christine Johns said. “The projects are part of a long-range planning process that supports student learning in a safe and positive classrooms.”
By law, the funds can be used for capital improvements authorized by voters. The bond issue funds may not be used to support day-to-day operations of the school district, such as teachers or utility costs.
Summer 2017 bond issue projects at sites throughout the district include select areas for replacement of flooring, roofs, gym and bleachers, classroom cabinets and counter tops, sidewalks and parking lots. The projects also include sites with needed upgrades in heating and cooling and athletic fields. The district is also continuing to replace cafeteria tables at its elementary schools.
The bond funds are also supporting the purchase of technology to support instruction. At the elementary level, the district is replacing iPads to support a nationally-recognized personalized blended learning model for kindergarten students. At the secondary level, new laptops will support an expanded program that integrates coding skills in Algebra I courses.
The 2009 bond issue projects will be completed during the 2017-2018 school year. Over its nine-year history, the bond issue has funded improvements that have impacted every classroom and facility in Utica Community Schools.
Major projects supported through the bond issue have included:
- A phone and camera identification system with locked door for visitors at the entrances at all facilities,
- Implementation of district’s ongoing infrastructure improvement and replacement plan for select parking lots and roofs,
- Upgrading the district’s network to provide greater capacity and speed for wireless access,
- Projects that create parity among the district’s 36 schools, including one of the largest improvement projects in the history of the district’s first high school, Utica High School.