The committee -- which includes parents, staff, community and students -- has met since last spring to review the district's schools, and has compiled a 282-page report of its findings, including alternatives, observations and costs.

The district-wide review was prompted by aging buildings and growing enrollment. "The committee's role is to present information to the Board of Education, so the board can decide what is best for our students and community," said Superintendent Kevin Baughman. "The committee is not making recommendations, but presenting the board many options so it can make an informed decision."

On December 20, the committee presented the first half of its study, concentrating on construction needs in the elementary schools.

The information presented included:

Why the school buildings have many needs and why the review has been so extensive:
-Age of the buildings -- all the schools are at least 50 years old (parts of Craig School were built in 1949 and part of Van Antwerp School was built in 1919).
-The committee focused on long-term solutions (i.e., improvements that would ensure all buildings would not require major work again until after 2025).
-State aid is awarded for building projects only. The district receives no aid on smaller repairs, so once larger needs are evident, it is more cost effective to consolidate repair projects into a construction project. The district would receive about 66 percent state aid on a construction project.

Why action is needed soon:
-All Niskayuna schools are full, and enrollment is projected to continue growing. By 2009, projections indicate 4,600 students will attend Niskayuna schools. Today the district has about 4,350 students.
-As enrollment continues to grow and the schools become more crowded, class sizes will increase, and solutions such as temporary classrooms may become necessary. Possible short-term solutions include temporary classrooms and transporting students to schools with room that may not be their neighborhood schools.

An overview of needs in the five elementary schools, including:
-crowded libraries in four of the schools
-absence of handicap-accessible stages in all the schools
-old plumbing and bathrooms in all schools (all plumbing is now original, 50 or more years old)
-parking lots in need of safety improvements, including additional exterior lights and different bus loop configurations
-sewer line extension at Glencliff Elementary School (the school is not connected to the town sewer system)
-extension of water lines at two schools, to eliminate the need for flushing of lines after three-day weekends
-computer labs are undersized, not meeting the New York State Education Department's recommendation for square footage

[See synopsis of the January 3 meeting for information about the high school and middle school needs.]

Questions about the presentations or the committee may be directed to Superintendent Kevin Baughman at 377-4666, Ext. 206 or kbaughman@niskyschools.org.

Information about the facility review process -- including most of the committee's report -- is available on this web site.

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