School district seeks voter approval on capital project

NORTH GREENBUSH, N.Y. » On March 4, residents of the North Greenbush Common School District community will vote on a proposition to authorize a $3,705,000 capital project that includes a 3.2-acre land purchase (from La Salle Institute), restoration of the Little Red School House and a building addition.

The proposed land purchase and the capital project is designed to preserve the North Greenbush CSD at a time of rapid residential development and unprecedented enrollment growth projections, according to a news release.

The Board of Trustees voted unanimously during its Jan. 15 meeting to hold this special vote – the school district’s largest and most significant capital project proposal since the school was built in 1861, district officials noted.

As part of the proposition, residents will be asked to vote on the purchase of land from the La Salle Institute, a long-time neighbor and partner. Last summer, the Board of Trustees entered into a contract with La Salle for the land purchase, contingent on voter approval.

The proposed project would: • Address needed repairs and restoration of the interior and exterior of the Little Red building (due to the building’s historic nature and aged infrastructure);

• Build a new 4,000- squarefoot addition with additional classroom and office space. This space would allow the district to return to K-2 operations and to deliver activities and added supports not possible in the current one-room schoolhouse setting;

• Relocate the driveway entrance/exit away from Route 4 to South Road for safety and access purposes;

• Build a new dedicated parking lot and bus loop;

• Move the district office to the school site for convenience, safety and cost savings; and

• Create a new fenced-in playground and field area.

If approved by voters, officials said the project would begin bidding and construction in the fall with the goal of occupancy in Sept. 2021. The cost of this project would be financed

through the establishment of a debt service fund and the issuing of bonds.

The project would have no impact to the current tax rate as additional property taxes (collected on new residential units) would allow the district to use these funds to pay for the entire project, according to the release.

The Town of North Greenbush has approved a series of residential developments, including at least 248 additional townhomes and 22 single-family homes.

Board President Susan O’Connell said the school district has studied enrollment and financial trends and projections over the past several years. A com

prehensive study convened by the North Greenbush CSD Board of Trustees projected an influx of new students over the next several years.

“We realized that the town’s residential growth posed new educational and financial challenges. The proposed project provides us with a window to create

new space that better fits our growing needs while restoring and preserving a school originally built 159 years ago,” O’Connell said in the release.

A community advisory committee – comprised of parents, community members and staff – has provided the Board of Trustees with ongoing feedback

since Sept. 2019.

The school district has scheduled dates for a public information meeting on Jan. 28 at LaSalle Institute at 7 p.m. and a public hearing on Feb. 25 at The Little Red School House at 6 p.m. People are encouraged to visit www.northgreenbushcommon.org for more information.