Last week the Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES Regional Education Center held an open house over three days for students, their parents and family members and more importantly the public and taxpayers. Here are some passing thoughts on the event:
HAPPY MAN
Despite the torrential downpour on Thursday night, Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES Superintendent Gary Gilchrist was all smiles in the final hours of their third and final day of the open house. He had every reason to be.
After decades of debate, Gilchrist was able to shepherd the $43.5 million project, which was approved more than a year and a half ago, to completion. The state-of-the-art facility is clearly a campus he and his staff can be proud of. It will also likely change, for those who visit, the stereotype that BOCES programming has had over the years. The new facility might be a trigger to get those who may not be on the college track, and possibly willing to forgo graduation and stay in school, to learn a trade or skills taught on the new campus.
THANK YOU
If there was any phrase that was a common thread for those who meandered through the sprawling campus in Aurelius, it was two simple words: Thank you. The staff of the new facility made it a point to pepper it into every conversation, whether it was a visit to the cosmetology and culinary arts central core or the trade explorations/facilities maintenance lab and automotive technologies that covers career and technical trades in the east wing.
The staff, who had been teaching in what could only be considered a substandard, if not dangerous facility, on South Street for years, are more than thrilled to be in their new digs. Not because they are new, but because it will be a place that is more productive to learn and teach in.
HOW MANY?
One questions that came up in a couple of conversations with visitors to the campus was that while it looked as if thousands of people had gone through the facility over the three days, it was unclear how many came in from Skaneateles to visit what they are helping to pay for.
As readers will remember, Skaneateles fought putting this on the ballot in 2005 and, was the sole district of the nine member component schools, to vote against the referendum for this project in December 2005. One can only hope, now that the facility is up and running, that Skaneateles residents will not deprive their students, through downgrading the programs, what the new facility has to offer.
Cosentino is a former mayor of Auburn and can be contacted at cozguytho@aol.com
Despite the torrential downpour on Thursday night, Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES Superintendent Gary Gilchrist was all smiles in the final hours of their third and final day of the open house. He had every reason to be.
After decades of debate, Gilchrist was able to shepherd the $43.5 million project, which was approved more than a year and a half ago, to completion. The state-of-the-art facility is clearly a campus he and his staff can be proud of. It will also likely change, for those who visit, the stereotype that BOCES programming has had over the years. The new facility might be a trigger to get those who may not be on the college track, and possibly willing to forgo graduation and stay in school, to learn a trade or skills taught on the new campus.
THANK YOU
If there was any phrase that was a common thread for those who meandered through the sprawling campus in Aurelius, it was two simple words: Thank you. The staff of the new facility made it a point to pepper it into every conversation, whether it was a visit to the cosmetology and culinary arts central core or the trade explorations/facilities maintenance lab and automotive technologies that covers career and technical trades in the east wing.
The staff, who had been teaching in what could only be considered a substandard, if not dangerous facility, on South Street for years, are more than thrilled to be in their new digs. Not because they are new, but because it will be a place that is more productive to learn and teach in.
HOW MANY?
One questions that came up in a couple of conversations with visitors to the campus was that while it looked as if thousands of people had gone through the facility over the three days, it was unclear how many came in from Skaneateles to visit what they are helping to pay for.
As readers will remember, Skaneateles fought putting this on the ballot in 2005 and, was the sole district of the nine member component schools, to vote against the referendum for this project in December 2005. One can only hope, now that the facility is up and running, that Skaneateles residents will not deprive their students, through downgrading the programs, what the new facility has to offer.
Cosentino is a former mayor of Auburn and can be contacted at cozguytho@aol.com
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