Several Mars Area High School students in Butler County Area Vocational-Technical School’s Building Construction and Carpentry programs, worked to build and install a sound barrier around the HVAC system located behind Mars Area Elementary School.

The sound barrier, which was commissioned by Mars Area School District to address concerns about excessive noise emitting from the equipment, is made up of various wooden panels that are meant to deflect the sound.

The boards for each panels were cut using a CNC Router and pre-assembled at the vo-tech, before being transported to the elementary school for installation, said Ron Sankey, Building Construction instructor, who, along with Scott McKee, Carpentry instructor, developed the panel design. 

Last week, Building Construction students, including juniors Jason Hennessy, Shane Sawicki and Nelson Yingling and sophomore Logan Wolf; and Carpentry students, including senior Jesse Kutchko and juniors Benjamin Gribble and Alexander Whitcroft, installed the barrier at the elementary school.

For more information, call (724) 625-1518 or visit www.butlertec.us.