State Grant Helps Green Chimneys Make Safety Upgrades

BREWSTER, NY — Green Chimneys School is installing safety upgrades at its two campuses in Putnam County with the help of a $175,000 Community Resiliency, Economic Sustainability, and Technology Program grant from New York State.

Green Chimneys is a special therapeutic school that uses academic, behavioral and emotional support to create a comprehensive learning environment to assist students who have struggled in traditional academic settings and teach them the skills and confidence to successfully return to their home school districts.

The first project, which has been completed, is the installation of a new fire alarm system in five school buildings on the Brewster campus.

Green Chimneys will also be installing a new gate and call box system at the back entrance of the campus to better monitor potential visitors to the school, and replacing doors connecting the gymnasium and lobby with ribbed reinforced hollow metal doors.

For the Clearpool campus in Carmel, the administration is installing a generator to deal with power losses.

New York State Sen. Pete Harckham, who helped get the grant, was invited to the Brewster campus Thursday to see the progress.

“The safety of all our kids is of the utmost importance and that’s why this investment in the Green Chimneys school is essential,” said Harckham. “Students cannot learn with their best foot forward if they do not feel safe, and these are the preemptive investments that ensure a secure environment for students and staff. These improvements address a number of the school's needs to protect students from fires and power outages as well as trespassers, so the faculty of Green Chimneys can continue to do outstanding work with their students.”

The grant was in the CREST program, which is among the funding administered by the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York to support community and economic development.

Green Chimneys CEO Kristin Dionne said, “We are grateful for Senator Harckham’s support and capital improvement funding that will truly benefit Green Chimneys by providing important upgrades to safety and security systems at our Brewster campus, as well as essential operating capability at our more rural campus in Carmel. These enhancements are crucial in protecting our campus community and ensuring the best environment possible for our students and staff.”

Harckham said he has delivered more than $20 million of state grant funding to municipalities and nonprofits in the 40th Senate District since taking office in 2019.