Summer upgrades, pool work and John Wallace renovation highlighted in facilities report to Newington board

Facilities staff presented the board with a summer work summary Sept. 10 that included custodial deep‑cleaning, floor and tile restorations, targeted bathroom renovations, HVAC upgrades and progress on the John Wallace school rebuild.

Jason Plumb, facilities lead, showed before‑and‑after photographs of renovated floors at several schools, luxury vinyl tile installations, and a full bathroom renovation at Martin Kellogg (new ceiling, sinks, tile and plumbing). He described crack sealing and resurfacing at playgrounds and courts, a full‑depth asphalt replacement at Elizabeth Green’s playground donated and completed with volunteer help, and improvements to the high‑school food‑service freezer (updated air‑handler to reject heat outdoors). Plumb said the district replaced several older R‑22 HVAC units with modern refrigerant systems and completed gym‑floor polyurethane recoating at multiple sites.

At John Wallace, Plumb showed demolition photos and said wings 3 and 4 were undergoing full rebuilds with new concrete block walls and classroom layouts; painting and line‑striping for playground courts were scheduled. He also noted an instructional addition at the high school — a donated, operational ambulance placed on a concrete slab for EMT training, with power to allow hands‑on practice.

Board members commended maintenance staff and volunteers; several noted the John Wallace work looks well advanced and praised custodial and trades crews for completing extensive work in a short window. No formal action was taken; Plumb said contractors remain scheduled to finish paving and line work in the coming weeks and that the district will continue to post project updates.