Lisha Kill is ready for its glow-up
LATHAM—As the 2024-2025 school year chugs along, Lisha Kill Middle School is in the process of receiving multiple renovations to its building, including a brand new outer façade and an entire revamp of its auditorium. And more is on the way.
The work is part of $112.5 million in capital improvements approved in October 2022 for six schools in the district.
Lisha Kill, with a student body of 700, has been undergoing the auditorium overhaul for months. Upgrades include new and more comfortable seats, air conditioning, and Lisha Kill Middle School Principal Jill Penn’s favorite, a whole new sound system.
“Whether your child is in the chorus or the lead, everyone will be able to get a much fuller experience and will be able to hear them and see them. Everyone will be celebrated for what their accomplishments are,” Penn said.
With input from the school’s chorus director, the architects are in the process of creating a new and improved performance space that will enhance both acoustic quality and visual experience, a place for students to showcase their talents and perform to their best ability. The new auditorium is scheduled to be completed in May.
The auditorium and new façade are just Stage One of the Capital Project for Lisha Kill. Stage Two will bring even more interior renovations, including new locker rooms, bathrooms, air conditioning throughout the school, an expanded nurse’s office, new tiling and new walls.
“It’s giving us a whole new facelift,” Penn said. “I feel like our community in South Colonie has continued to grow and diversify, and one of the things that is so exciting is that as this building redefines what Lisha Kill means, it’s also redefining what a Lisha Kill student will look like when they leave.”
Katherine Mitchell is a UAlbany student in the SUNY Institute for Local News initiative to help community journalism.
