On Wednesday, another layer of joint compound was being applied to the fresh drywall surrounding the perimeter of Poughkeepsie High School’s auditorium. The upper sections of the walls have already been painted. A new elevated platform at the back of the house has already been installed with new railings.
Much remains to be done to the auditorium. But by the time students return from winter recess in January, it should be complete and ready to be used once again by students.
That’s one of many messages that will be presented to the Board of Education tonight as representatives of Triton Construction and CPL Architects present an updated overview of the Poughkeepsie City School District’s ongoing Strong Schools Equal Strong Communities capital improvement project. The meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at the Jane Bolin Administration Building, 18 S. Perry St., or you can watch a livestream on the district's YouTube page. 
The district is investing roughly $150 million in improvement projects across its eight buildings to update learning spaces for the 21st century, fortify buildings’ safety and accessibility, and add resources that will better prepare students for graduation and beyond.
Since work began in the summer of 2021, the district has replaced and repaired boilers, HVAC systems, plumbing, exterior and interior doors, flooring, ceilings and roofing at most of its buildings; it’s also installed and updated security vestibules in each building, beautified outdoor spaces and remediated flooding issues at several locations. 
Much remains to be finished and much remains to be started, as the Board will hear at its regular meeting tonight. Projects that are in-progress and on-schedule including the high school auditorium renovation, the creation of innovation labs at the high and middle schools, and the installation of an elevator at Clinton Elementary. In January, the middle school’s auditorium renovation will begin, and in April, renovations of the school’s pool space and locker rooms will begin. And other projects will follow, including the construction of a new transportation and facilities hub at 11 College Ave.
Keep tabs on all the work being done around the district on the new capital improvement webpage, poughkeepsieschools.org/capital-improvement