On Tuesday, May 17, in conjunction with the school budget vote and board election, Schoharie CSD will ask district residents to consider a $25.9 million capital project to make significant renovations to the Elementary School and athletic fields. A separate $2.75 million Energy Performance Project is also up for a vote.
The capital project would be funded mostly through state aid. As with the most recent building project, there would be no impact on the tax levy. For every dollar spent on the project, New York state will fund 86 cents. The remainder would come through an existing capital reserve fund.
“This is an exciting proposal that will match in the Elementary School the renovations we recently completed in the Jr./Sr. High School. If approved, the end result will be modernized, secure and safe learning environments from Pre-K through grade 12,” Superintendent David M. Blanchard said. “Both the building project and the energy project will lead to efficiencies that save taxpayer dollars down the road and keep our district focused on our students.”
Key components of the project for the Elementary School include converting the current gym, cafeteria and kitchen area into a full-size gymnasium with a stage at one end. This gym would be slightly smaller than the Jr./Sr. High School gym.
Under the plans, the 1952 gym in the Elementary will be remodeled into a new library, while the current library space will be converted into the cafeteria/kitchen. Bathrooms with secure outdoor entrances/exits will be installed in the rear of the new cafeteria. Multi-stall bathrooms elsewhere in the current wing will be renovated. A window and door replacement is planned, and classroom doorways will have modern security features.
Roof work is planned for both the Elementary wing and the Jr./Sr. High School wing, which will otherwise have a more limited scope of work. There will be window replacements in classrooms and offices in the 1999 wing, as well as renovated boys’ and girls’ locker rooms.
The athletic fields adjacent to the Elementary School will be redone with the original grass soccer and softball/baseball fields, which were created over swampy ground, replaced with synthetic turf fields. Current conditions of the field have resulted in the fields being un-playable for large parts of the fall and spring athletics season. Light towers will be added to the fields and the overall work will lead to greatly expanded opportunities for student-athletes. In addition, the tennis courts will be expanded from four to five separate courts.
A separate effort related to energy efficiencies is also on the ballot as a proposition. A $2.75 million Energy Performance Project has the following components:
LED lighting enhancement
- Air handler upgrade – Elementary and Jr./Sr. High School
- Upgrade/install controls on boilers
- Construct solar canopy over buses, which will generate renewable energy and ease snow removal work on the bus fleet
- The creation of a solar field on the North 40 space, which will generate renewable energy and savings for the district.
- EV charging stations
This project would be funded through state aid and energy cost savings. There are no anticipated impacts on the tax levy. If approved, the projects would go through a design and bidding phase that would last between one to two years, with work expected to commence in 2024. Major renovations would take place over summer break and other periods when the school building is not open for regular classes. Disruptions to the normal school day are expected to be minimal and classes would continue as scheduled in the Elementary School.