Call to Order – 7:30 p.m.
Attendance
- BRAC: Ms. Espinosa, Ms. Garrigan-Piela, Mr. Pratt, Mr. Romanowski
- Admin: Ms. Belmont, Mr. Edson, Mr. Simons
- Board: Ms. Taylor
- Guests: Mr. Wickman, March Associates; Mr. Ellsworth, Sano-Rubin Construction Services
Update on Capital Construction Project
Mr. Wickman reviewed that the $39.7 capital project was divided into three phases in order to take advantage of state building aid. Phase 1 includes district-wide work such as security cameras, telephones, smoke detectors, and public address systems. Phase 2 includes work at buildings and grounds, transportation, Red Mill, Green Meadow, and Howard L. Goff Schools. Phase 3 includes work at Bell Top, Citizen Genet, DP Sutherland, and Columbia. Work will begin during the school year, except for asbestos abatement, which will be during the summer. Both phases 2 and 3 include paving to replace areas which have deteriorated.
The architect noted that State review times related to capital projects are much shorter now that a third-party review process is in place. He said this timing should benefit phases 2 and 3 for the District.
Mr. Wickman reported that the DP Sutherland fuel tank replacement is on hold since there were no bidders for the work. Although two contractors expressed interest, they could not take on the work with current schedules. The work will be rebid for a spring implementation.
The Columbia hot water tank replacement project has been submitted to SED as an emergency project. Currently, the kitchen tank is servicing the entire school. The original tank was placed in service in 2003. A broken hot water tank at Goff was recently replaced through the general fund budget.
At Citizen Genet, a tarp covers the side entrance since water penetrated through the wall causing some limited damage. The remediation work will be done during the summer of 2020 to take advantage of state aid. Temporary measures will be put in place until permanent work occurs.
The architects are completing an Athletic Master Plan as a planning tool for the next referendum. It will include an inventory of all fields, cost to improve or upgrade, and current use. The District can use this plan along with the Building Condition Survey to determine capital needs for the next voter referendum.
Mr. Wickman said that members of his firm have been meeting with science and technology teachers in the District for redesign of their spaces in accordance with the capital project.
The architect plans to review the security entrance at Columbia. Concerns have arisen that the vestibule space is narrow, causing a delay in parents getting in the building during the school day.
SED approval on the Phase 1 project is expected during the month of October.
Enrollment Update
Mr. Edson shared current K-12 enrollment of 4,091 as of September 26, 2018. He said this was 1.7% more than the CDRPC projection of 4,023 reported in March 2018. Kindergarten enrollment at 293 is less than the projection of 313, although Kindergarten is very difficult to estimate each year. However, in grades 1 to 5, enrollment is up 51 students over the projection. In grades 6 to 8, enrollment is up 18 students over the projection, and in grades 9 to 12 enrollment is over by 19 students.
Actual enrollment data will be provided to the New York State Education Department during the first week of October during BEDS (Basic Educational Data System) collection. Mr. Edson did not believe the actual numbers would vary much from September 26. The enrollment will also be shared with CDRPC for this year’s analysis. Mr. Edson reminded everyone that enrollment, even at 4,091, is about 10% below the peak enrollment of the mid-2000’s.
Support Department Reports
The Board met in September to review a strategic plan, goals and objectives for the 2018-2019 school year. As part of the meeting, the Board discussed the types of reports it would like to receive during the year. Those reports included the support departments: transportation, food service, and operations and maintenance. Mr. Edson advised that there are not many, if any, models for support department reporting in schools. As such, the supervisors and he developed draft reports that included sections on goals, previous initiatives, current initiatives, and data snapshot. The reports, along with vehicle replacement plans, will be shared with the Board at its October 17 meeting.
Adjournment – 8:35 p.m.