The Niskayuna Board of Education unanimously decided September 19 on the scope of a school building construction project.

Residents will vote on the project January 24, 2006. The $108 million project addresses the district’s most urgent needs, including for additional classroom space to meet growing enrollment and major repair to the school buildings’ aging, inefficient systems. The project includes work at all eight schools.

“This project addresses the most immediate needs in our schools, and reflects the best thinking of community groups, school staff and our Board of Education,” said Superintendent Kevin Baughman. "Addressing these needs will help transform our aging school buildings into 21st century learning spaces."

The board has been discussing renovating and expanding the schools since December 2004, considering findings by the High School Task Force and the District Facilities Preservation & Renewal Committee.

Project details
The project addresses immediate needs in all eight buildings. Below are summaries by building, or scroll below for links to complete lists.

Niskayuna High School
Add 8 classrooms to address growing enrollment, including one special education and one science room
Replace the building's heating system (which is inefficient and provides inconsistent heat around the building) with a high-efficiency geothermal system
Expand and relocate the media center to the center of the building
Create a new suite of music rooms adjoining the auditorium
Reconfigure the traffic circles and pedestrian crossings to increase student safety
Create a Student Commons in the center of the building, a space for students to study
Replace the roof (which regularly leaks)
Increase security with additional cameras at entrances and in hallways, and swipe card access for staff entering the building after hours
See the complete high school list

The middle schools
Iroquois:
Improve handicap-accessibility with some bathroom renovations
Renovate two art rooms and two home & careers rooms
Replace the heating system (which is inefficient) with a high-efficiency geothermal system
Replace original windows (which are inefficient and in many cases permanently cloudy because of moisture trapped in the windows)
Replace undersized 6-inch-wide lockers with standard 12-inch-wide lockers (to better accommodate student books and belongings)
Increase security by installing security cameras and blinds on windows
Update classroom computer technology
Install a new telephone system in classrooms and offices (all classrooms do not currently have telephones; the project would replace the telephone system district-wide)
See the complete Iroquois list

Van Antwerp:
Replace the heating systems (which are inefficient and provide inconsistent heat around the building) with a high-efficiency geothermal system
Partial roof replacement (the sections that regularly leak)
Rebuild and re-point masonry
Improve handicap-accessibility by renovating bathrooms
Update classroom computer technology
Install a new telephone system in classrooms and offices (all classrooms do not currently have telephones; the project would replace the telephone system district-wide)
Increase security by installing security cameras
See the complete Van Antwerp list

The elementary schools
At all schools:
Classroom additions to meet growing enrollment
Reconfigure existing classrooms into smaller spaces for parent conferences, testing, and student services/support (such services are currently held in hallways, basements, former closets and on stages)
Replace the inefficient heating systems with high-efficiency geothermal systems
Replace inefficient windows
Increase security through security cameras
Increase handicap-accessibility by renovating bathrooms
Replace old carpets with vinyl tile, which is allergy-friendly and easier to maintain
See the complete elementary list by building

Local cost: $36 million
State aid would pay for about 67 percent of the total construction cost, leaving the local cost at $36 million. The remaining cost to the taxpayer would be minimized by two factors: 1) the reduction of large school district debt beginning in 2005-06 and 2) the continued growth and development of property in the Niskayuna school district.

Including those minimizing factors, the total local cost to the owner of a home with a taxable assessed value of $100,000 (after application of the equalization rate and standard STAR reduction) would be about $79 per year. (To find your home's taxable assessed value, refer to your last tax bill.)

Without including the minimizing factors, the cost for the same homeowner would be about $200 per year.

How to learn more
Details will be included in the October edition of Your Schools. Photo galleries of the schools and frequently asked questions are online.

Tours are also scheduled for each school, so that community can see the schools’ problems and learn more about the proposed project. All tours begin at 7 p.m.:
• October 20: Birchwood Elementary School
• October 26: Glencliff Elementary School
• November 1: Hillside Elementary School
• November 2: Van Antwerp Middle School
• November 9: Rosendale Elementary School
• November 16: Craig Elementary School
• November 30: Niskayuna High School
• December 1: Iroquois Middle School

Questions can also be directed to Superintendent Kevin Baughman at 377-4666, Ext. 206, by e-mail at kbaughman@niskyschools.org or through his online building question form.

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