Hudson Falls Central School and Fort Edward Union Free School districts are both asking residents to vote yes to new capital improvement projects on the 2024 school budget ballot. Voters will be able to hit the polls on Tuesday, May 21, but in Hudson Falls they will be voting Wednesday, March 27 as well.
Hudson Falls
Hudson Falls Central School District’s building condition survey resulted with more repairs needed than the 2024-2025 school budget of $152 million.
Of the six buildings, community pool, 431,000 square feet of building space, and 156 acres of property, the district is proposing a $54.1 million capital project to voters.
Superintendent Dan Ward said the reason for the March vote is to approve the improvement budget earlier and give the district an opportunity to proceed before the state reviews the project. Beginning a summer earlier will interfere less with classroom time.
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“Right now, the state education department review is 30 to 40 weeks. If we wait another 12 weeks that is absolutely and positively will push us out of the first summer of construction,” Ward said. “It’s not guaranteed that we’ll get to do construction a summer earlier, but it gives us a chance.”
Improvements to the schools’ facilities will include safety and security updates at all of the schools, upgrades and improvements of the facilities that can be used by residents and the community, and improvements to buildings generally.
The safety and security improvements among all of the school buildings except the high school are new boilers and lockdown notification lights. Other improvements are fire-rated doors, an IT backup generator, additional security cameras, replacement of the clock and public address system, and an emergency generator at the high school.
The schools will also update what they call “modern research spaces” with renovations to the libraries in the middle school, intermediate school, and primary school.
In addition to library spaces, the proposed project includes renovating the high school cafeteria dining room and food preparation spaces. In the cafeteria itself, the floors and walls would be redone and repainted, brightening and modernizing the space.
“This project will probably have to be split over at least two summers,” Ward said. “Some of the work we’re doing can only be done when students aren’t here.”
With community members being able to utilize fitness spaces, it’s time for needed updates according to the district. Since it was built, the equipment in the fitness room has seen considerable wear and tear, including broken equipment, rips in padding, and damage to the walls.
In addition, the community pool needs restoration so the school system can continue to keep it open for both students and residents. Ward said the pool was taken on by the district about five years ago from the Town of Hudson Falls and needs a lot of repairs to get it back up to school standards.
Ward said 2,300 people used the pool in the summer of 2023 , during the seven to eight weeks it was open. In 2022 there were 2,200 users.
“The concrete decking is in rough shape, looking inside the pool the gunite is cracked and needs to be replaced. It’s seen better days and it’s starting to become a safety concern,” Ward said.
There would also be updates made to every building that would make the bathrooms across the district ADA compliant in the intermediate, primary, and K-Center classrooms and on the playing fields. A redesign of the pick-up and drop-off patterns at the middle and high schools will be designed for ADA compliance.
Ward said the $54.1 million project is comparable to the capital project that was proposed in December 2005. The total was just over $20 million then. In 2006 the district proposed an almost $19 million project. The $40 million spent in 2005 and 2006 on capital projects would equate between $66 to $73 million today, he said.
“I was concerned about the $54 million size, so I took a look at the history, and I saw the $40 million from about 20 years ago and I asked what it was in today’s dollars,” he said.
Voters may cast ballots on Wednesday, March 27 between noon and 8 p.m. at the Hudson Falls High School Gymnasium, located at 80 E. LaBarge St.
<&underline>Fort Edward</&underline>
Board of Education members at Fort Edward Union Free School District met on Monday, March 11 and approved a proposition to spend $14.7 million capital improvements.
The district is looking for approvals from voters to reconstruct, renovate, and improve various district buildings, facilities, and sites. They are also looking to acquire original furnishings, equipment, machinery, or apparatus.
In February, board members were presented building safety condition survey results that were used to plan the capital project. The plan has four focus points.
The district has budgeted $3,134,187 for safety and security enhancements, $2,169,848 for facility improvements, $4,774,129 for roofing, and $3,526,874 for HVAC updates. Fees that bring the project to $14.7 million include $680,000 in capital interest and $414,962 in Dormitory Authority of the State of New York fees.
If approved, the design process will begin after the vote and construction will begin at the end of 2025, with a completion expected in Fall of 2027.
Caton Deuso is a reporter who covers Glens Falls. Her beat is Cop/Courts, Emergency Services and Art. Contact: 518-742-3272, cdeuso@poststar.com.