Renovation project to go to voters next month; public meeting planned for Nov. 10

Nov. 2, 2011

The Watervliet City School District Board of Education will soon seek voter approval for a major school renovation project. During a special meeting Tuesday, Nov. 1, school board members approved the necessary measures to bring a proposed $18.9 million project to a public vote on Tuesday, December 20. View legal notice

Plans are being finalized for the project, which would see approximately $11 million worth of work at the junior/senior high school and approximately $7 million at the elementary school.

If approved by voters, the proposed project would have no effect on local taxes, as the work would be paid for with state aid and new incentive funds that state is providing to only a handful of school districts in the state.

The board is seeking public input on the proposed project, and invites district residents to attend a facilities planning task force meeting Thursday, Nov. 10 at 6:30 p.m. to learn more about the project and offer feedback.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Paul J. Padalino said the state funding that will allow this project to go forward with no impact on the local property taxpayers is available for a limited time. “As a result, we have to moving quickly on this project,” Padalino said. “This is a unique opportunity that will benefit generations of students. We should not let it pass us by.”

New York State is now offering Qualified School Construction Bonds that, together with traditional state building aid, would pay for the entire project. Watervliet is among just 30 school districts statewide eligible for this financing option. These bonds are available exclusively for building and renovations projects and cannot be used for other purposes.

Improvements under consideration include new roofs and windows, as well as classroom and corridor renovations at the elementary school. Classroom and corridor renovations and upgrades to the auditorium are also proposed for the junior/senior high school. Construction of an eight-lane running track and a low-maintenance, all-weather artificial turf playing field that will accommodate a variety of athletic offerings is also being considered. View architect rendering of proposed athletic facilities

The district recently finished two building and renovation projects totaling more than $30 million that included the construction of new classrooms at both schools, and a new gymnasium and cafeteria at the junior/senior high school. That work represents the first major renovations district’s buildings had seen since the early 1980s.