Modernizing and maintaining our schools... for now and
the future
On Oct. 4, residents of the Greater Johnstown School
District will decide on a proposed $8.8 million repair
and improvement plan for all six of the district’s
school buildings. Because state aid would pay for an
estimated 88 percent of the total cost, the local share
of the project would be $1.5 million, which would be
financed over a 15- to 20-year period. School officials
estimate that the net impact of the projects on the
district’s annual budget will average $101,462 over the
15- to 20-year period.
If approved by a majority of voters, the project would
fund needed repairs and key improvements to school
roofs, boilers, windows, heating systems and parking
lots. The plan also calls for construction of two new
science classrooms at the high school, two special
education classrooms at the high school, a new high
school auditorium, and a synthetic turf field at Knox
Field.
Although all of the district’s schools are structurally
sound and have been well maintained, each building needs
routine maintenance, similar to the maintenance that
residents’ homes would regularly require. If these
repairs are included as part of a capital improvement
project, they would be eligible for state aid and the
remaining local costs would be spread over a 15- to
20-year period. If the district must pay for these
repairs on an emergency basis, the total cost would have
to be funded out of the current year’s budget and there
would be no state aid for any portion of the work,
leaving local taxpayers responsible for the total cost.
Click
on one of the links below to jump to the information you
are looking for:
Please attend any of the capital
project community presentations, which will begin at
6:30 p.m.
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September 8, Knox
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September 13, Jansen
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September 15, Glebe
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September 19, Pleasant
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September 22, High School
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September 28, High School
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September 29, Warren
Improvements would benefit
the community
The new high school auditorium and turf field at Knox
will benefit students and community members alike. The
existing auditorium — which seats 430 — cannot
accommodate the entire high school student body. Many of
the seats are in disrepair and are virtually unusable.
The stage is relatively small, with insufficient height
to hang backdrops and other props for drama productions.
The lighting is also inadequate for most musical and
theatrical productions.
The new high school auditorium would provide twice the
seating. With the new 880-seat, 11,200 square foot
facility, all high school students and staff members
could assemble in one room. The auditorium would be
equipped with modern sound and lighting equipment, while
the enlarged stage would allow for more creativity and
staging options for productions. Future annual PRISM
concerts could be staged in the auditorium, instead of
the high school gymnasium where previous
standing-room-only audiences have been cramped and
uncomfortable. Likewise, if the weather does not permit
graduation ceremonies to take place outside on Knox
Field, parents and friends would be able to sit more
comfortably inside the auditorium instead of the gym.
The new synthetic turf on Knox Field would help resolve
drainage problems and reduce on-going maintenance costs.
Students would be able to use the field essentially
year-round. The fall sports season typically has been
cut short because of snow — and the spring season almost
always starts late because the fields are not ready
early enough for play.
While the existing field has been used primarily for
football, the new surface would have a variety of
painted regulation field lines, making it appropriate
for other sports, such as lacrosse and field hockey. The
field would also be more usable for musical events,
providing another surface on which the marching band or
color guard could compete and practice.
The new turf may also provide a source of revenue for
the district. Because Johnstown would be one of the few
districts in the capital region to have a turf field,
other sports teams could pay to use Knox Field if their
playing areas are unusable, or as a neutral field for
events such as sectional games.
Although school officials have developed the proposed
repair and improvement plan to maximize state aid, one
aspect of the work would not be eligible for state aid.
Included in the proposal is $221,000 for a new high
school concession stand, restroom and storage facility.
Currently, for sporting events and band rehearsals held
on the high school fields, students must carry equipment
— which is often bulky and heavy — from the back of the
high school to the field area. A new storage facility
would allow for equipment to be stored close to the
fields, saving time and energy.
There are no indoor restroom facilities available to
those who use school fields during after school hours
because the building is locked for safety reasons. The
proposed restrooms would resolve this problem.
The new concession stand will provide added storage
space, as well as opportunities for teams and clubs to
use the facility for fund-raising.
The high cost of doing nothing
If a majority of residents vote “no” on the proposed
project, district residents will continue to pay for the
costs of building maintenance repairs, without being
eligible for state aid reimbursement. This includes
paying higher energy costs for inefficient mechanical
systems and poorly insulated windows and roofs.
Additionally, students will continue to be taught in
outdated science labs. With new state mandates, more
students are required to take science — and the existing
classroom space simply can not accommodate the needs of
those learners.
Special education students, who need the most resources,
currently have only two class spaces. The proposed two
new special education rooms would provide students and
teachers ample space to meet their needs.
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Modernizing and maintaining our
schools