Roof reconstruction and asbestos removal are two of the main focuses for a capital project plan in the South Colonie Central School District, which voters will have a say on come Wednesday, Oct. 10.
The proposed project would involve replacing sections of the Sand Creek Middle School and Colonie Central High School roofs as well as taking out a small section of asbestos in the ceiling of the high school. Plans are also underway to make the main entrance of the high school more compliant with American Disabilities Act (ADA) standards.
Superintendent Jonathan Buhner said that many of the items have been on the “priority list for a few years now.”
“We’ve been kind of waiting because the economy was so difficult,” Buhner said. “At this point we feel that we need to address (the items) … they can be more expensive later.”
The district would borrow nearly $4.4 million for the project. That bond will end up costing taxpayers about $2.3 million (including interest) after accounting for state aid. The bond would cost the owner of a $150,000 property an additional $9.30 per year for the 15-year life of the bond.
Assistant Superintendant for Management Services and Strategic Planning Sherri Fisher said the district is aware it is “not a terrific economy” but officials feel the project is necessary.
“We consciously chose to scale this at safety and health issues that we needed to address,” Fischer said.
Sections of the roof at both the middle school and the high school are in need of reroofing, Buhner said. Though both roofs have held up for many years, Buhner said parts have met their “useful life limit.”
Over the years, the insulation in the high school’s rubber roof has become wet and expanded, ultimately stretching the roof.
“You can patch it for a while but at a certain point the roof loses its integrity,” Buhner said. “They do hold up … (but) at a certain point, you’re spending more money repairing it.”
Buhner said if the bond is approved, the district would fix the installation and patch on a new roof. Additionally, some areas on the high school’s second floor have asbestos in the ceiling, which just so happens to be in the same spot where the reroofing needs to be done.
“We haven’t had a problem with it at this point. It’s still safe, however it’s probably not the best idea to have it,” Buhner said. “We haven’t had leaks but if we can replace that ceiling and not have that concern I think it would be wise to get it out of there.”
The Sand Creek Middle School uses a spray foam system in its roof, but the current system is not holding up anymore, Buhner said.
The district would like to improve accessibility to the main entrance of the high school. The current ADA-approved entrances are at the end of the building, which makes it difficult for easy access, Buhner said. The high school is the only one of the district’s eight buildings to not have ADA access in the front.
“When buildings are older they can be grandfathered in,” Buhner said. “(It was) built before standards changed. Newer buildings would not have those problems.”
The main change to the building would be the addition of an enclosed area with two ramps. The high school’s entrance has many steps, so the plan is also to have two ramps that would go right into the building on the inside to avoid the steps, Buhner said.
“Having discussions with community members, I think they understand there isn’t anything flashy in this capital project. This is basic maintenance,” Buhner said. “We hope to take good care of our facilities. With the slight improvement to the high school, even that I think many people would tell you that we should have had the main entrance addressed many years ago. We want to run good programs for the kids in safe, clean buildings.”
The district is also proposing the replacement of three school buses, instead of the typical seven. The replacement cost was pegged at $353,000, which accounting for state aid would amount to an $187,000 local cost. The owner of a $150,000 property would pay $2.36 per year for the life of the five-year bond.
District residents can vote on the proposition on Wednesday, Oct. 10, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at all five elementary school buildings – Forest Park, Roessleville, Saddlewood, Shaker Road and Veeder.