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Frequently asked Questions
Jump to a question:
What are
the benefits of investing in a district-wide
building project?
Why do our
buildings have so many problems?
What will I be voting on
and when is the vote?
Wouldn't it be
better to repair the schools ourselves, rather
than have such a large building project?
Why not spread the
work out over a longer period of time?
Why we need to do so much work?
Why did we build a
pool if
other work was
needed in our district?
What would this building
project cost?
What if we don't do
anything?
Answers to
geothermal heating FAQs are also on this site
The district's
enrollment today is lower than what it was in
the 1970s -- so why is there a shortage of
space?
What has been done to
minimize the impact of the building project on
the local taxpayer?
After the building
project vote on January 24, when would
construction begin?
What are
the benefits of investing in a building project?
Over the years, Niskayuna's academic reputation
has remained strong while the physical
facilities have progressively aged.
The proposed
building project would provide for:
--Additional classroom space to accommodate
growing enrollment and maintain class sizes
--Upgraded classroom sizes that meet state
minimum standards
--Preservation of neighborhood schools
--Improved indoor air quality and classroom
temperature and comfort
--Improved security and safety for students and
staff
--Improved energy efficiency
--Upgraded plumbing systems
--Expanded communications systems
--Enhanced classroom technological capabilities
--Handicap-accessibility in all schools
--Improved drainage and traffic configurations
--Potential for program expansion
Why do
our buildings have so many
problems?
Most of our schools were constructed between
1948 and 1960. Therefore, most are approaching 50
to 60 years old.
Despite their age,
our buildings remain structurally sound because
of previous
construction projects.
However, systems such as plumbing and heating
are wearing out and can no longer be fixed, and
original windows and doors are no longer
efficient. Some roofs are leaking, and some
areas of schools are not handicap-accessible.
Slow
but steady growth in the district's enrollment
in the last decade has filled the schools. (In
the last 10 years, enrollment has grown by more
than 400 students.) While staff have been
creative about using every available area,
our programs are now being limited by space
constraints. The recent housing boom in the area
-- about 15 housing and apartment developments
are being planned or built in the district --
means that enrollment will continue to climb,
making the building of additional classrooms
vital.
A comprehensive,
large-scale project is needed to repair
or replace parts of the schools, and create
additional space, which would make them viable for years
to come.
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What will I be voting on and when is the
vote?
Voters will be asked to approve the total amount
of money to be borrowed ($94.5 million), based on
the general scope of the project determined by
the Board of Education.
The vote date for
the building proposition is January 24, 2006,
from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Niskayuna High School.
Pre-registration is not required, though
personal identification (such as a driver's
license) is requested at the polls.
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Wouldn't it be
better to repair the schools ourselves, rather
than have such a large building project?
The district lacks the staff, resources and
expertise to address the large projects our
buildings require. Also, when school
district staff repair buildings, the entire
cost of the repair or renovation is paid by
the local taxpayer. School building projects
approved by local residents generate state
building aid, offsetting much of the cost to
local taxpayers. The average state aid on a building
project in Niskayuna is approximately 67 percent, meaning that $0.67
of every dollar spent on a building project is
typically reimbursed by the state.
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Why not spread the
work out over a longer period of time?
Because of rising enrollment in all buildings and
the age of our facilities, the needs
across the district are similar and must be addressed as soon as possible.
Scheduling work over many years also
increases the cost of construction. Additionally, there is no guarantee that
the state will continue to pay
67 percent of the cost; that rate
could decrease, leaving more cost to local taxpayers.
The proposed
building project does
not include all the needs identified by two
community committees that reviewed the schools
-- the project includes only the immediate
needs.
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Why do we need to do so much work?
Because of the excellence of our schools, many families are choosing to move
to the Niskayuna district. As a result of this
high demand, additional housing is being built
and incoming families are paying a premium for
Niskayuna homes. That interest has resulted in
more students -- by 2011 almost 180 more
elementary
children will be in our classrooms.
At the elementary
level, students are taught and tested in spaces
not designed for such purposes, including
basements, hallways, former closets and stages. Unless additional classrooms are built,
future enrollment growth will
necessitate continuing to use such spaces, and
increasing class sizes at the elementary and
middle school levels.
At the high
school, we are prevented from enhancing or
increasing the number of course offerings
because of
the lack of adequate space. With
additional space, the high school could offer
programs such as pre-engineering, courses in material science and other
electives that would enhance our programs and
better prepare our students for highly competitive
college admission.
The age of our
school buildings is the second major cause for
so much work. The majority of our schools are approaching 50 to 60
years old.
Our aging
buildings have remained structurally sound
because of previous construction projects and repair.
However, systems such as plumbing and heating
are wearing out and can no longer be fixed, and
original windows and doors are no longer
efficient. Some roofs are leaking, and some
areas of schools are not handicap-accessible as
required by state and federal law.
A comprehensive
renovation project is needed to repair or
replace infrastructure in the schools, and
create additional space, making the buildings
viable for
many years to come. While future work will be
needed -- and the Board of Education is
developing a long-term plan to address this -- a
project now would address major problems and
needs.
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Why did we build a
pool if other work was needed in our district?
In
1999, residents approved two propositions, one
to build and renovate classrooms and update
technology, and another to build the pool and
fitness center.
The Board of
Education placed the pool on the ballot because
of requests from residents for a community pool,
and because at that time an additional 10
percent state building aid was being offered to
all school districts (leaving the local cost at
28 percent).
The pool has
proven a popular and successful
community asset, and is used by thousands of
district residents every year. The pool is also
an important asset for students in physical education classes
and the high school's interscholastic programs.
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What would this building project cost?
State aid would pay for about 67 percent of the
total construction cost, leaving the local cost
at $31 million for 20 years.
The remaining cost to the
taxpayer would be minimized by two factors: 1)
the reduction of large school district debt
beginning in 2006-06 and 2) the continued growth
and development of property in the Niskayuna
school district.
Including those minimizing factors, the net local cost to the owner of a home with a taxable
assessed value of $100,000 would average about $68 per year
for 20 years.
Note: The taxable assessed value reflects all
reductions and can be found on your school
tax bill. [Local
cost details]
(Without the
minimizing factors, the local tax increase would
be more than twice the $68 per year.)
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What if we don't do anything?
If no action is taken soon, class sizes will
continue to grow beyond the district's
recommended class-size guidelines. For
example, each elementary classroom would have
approximately two more children than current
enrollment; middle schools in some instances
would have more than 30 children in a classroom;
and the high school would likely further
restrict science lab classes because of safety
concerns. Lack of classroom space would
increasingly limit what courses could be
offered.
Students would continue to be taught and tested
in areas not designed for such purposes,
including closets, basements, hallways and
stages. As enrollment continued, the district
would likely need to purchase modular
classrooms, which are expensive and can pose
security concerns. Maintaining neighborhood
schools would become increasingly impossible, as
more children would have to be bused to a school
that could accommodate them.
Students and
staff would also continue to learn and work in
schools in which we are unable to maintain
adequate heat in the winter or proper
ventilation throughout the school year. Failure
to replace roofs will continue to cause further
deterioration of the interior floors and walls
due to water penetration.
Failure to
replace exterior doors and windows will result
in higher energy
costs for taxpayers and continued issues of building security.
If not replaced, the antiquated telephone systems
will continue to cost taxpayers more than a
district-wide comprehensive system, and if those
systems fail, schools could be without phone
service, because much of the system
cannot be repaired. Some sections of the schools
would also remain inaccessible to handicapped
students.
Finally, if we
don't do anything, the schools' building
problems won't go away. Existing problems will
become more serious and new issues will arise,
making the cost of future repair even more than
it is today.
The
district's enrollment today is lower than what
it was in the 1970s -- so why is there a
shortage of space?
Education today is quite different from the
1970s. For example, today all schools have
computer labs and many classrooms have
computers.
In the 1970s,
many students with disabilities were not
educated in their home schools. Special
Education services require space.
Finally,
graduation requirements have increased
substantially since the 1970s. Today's students
take more classes and require more labs, all of
which require more classroom space.
What has been done
to minimize the impact of the building project
on the local taxpayer?
From the beginning of the facilities review
process two years ago, the Board of Education
has been focused on addressing the schools' most
critical needs while minimizing the cost to
local taxpayers. Some of the steps taken are:
--The timing of the new local costs of the
project coincide with the elimination of other
long-term debt, lessening the tax impact of the
project
--Applying for 67 percent state aid on the
project, reducing the local cost to one-third
--Applying for an energy grant of $120,000 from
the New York State Energy Research and
Development Authority for the proposed
geothermal heating system at the high school
--Investigating new heating systems that would
save more than $330,000 in energy costs
annually, including the cost to heat newly
constructed space (for a savings of $6.6 million
over the life of the bond)
Also, the Board
of Education's scrutiny of the proposed helped
to reduce the project by more than $13 million
to its final amount of $94.5 million.
After the
building project vote on January 24, when would
construction begin?
The estimated timeline is:
--January 25 - September 2006, design and
prepare project materials for the New York State
Education Department
--October - December 2006, drawings reviewed and
approved by NYSED
--January 2006 - February 2007, project publicly
bid
--March 2007 - May 2007, construction begins
Due to the
complexity of the projects, the work would be
phased, with some construction completed in
2008, 2009 and 2010.
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