Any Takers? Hundreds of Hays School Desks Could be Junked

As the Pathways special education program prepares to occupy the shuttered Hays School on Maple Street, hundreds of old desks and other furniture will be junked unless a recipient can be found.

“These are obsolete, old-style desks,” said Joe Travaglino, director of buildings and grounds for the school district. “Some of them have been beaten up and the legs are missing or whatever. They’re not the types of desks that are used anymore.”

Board of Education members voted Tuesday to approve of their disposal by the town, but agreed they would like to see if any organization would be willing to use the desks for free. Travaglino, however, said that the town, and not the school, would have to make the donation since the furniture now falls under their purview.

The Board of Education said they’d look into working with Town Hall to save the furniture from a scrap heap.

Travaglino estimated that there were about 400-600 pieces of furniture. He said most of the good pieces of furniture have already been taken and used elsewhere.