Garrett Hamlin of Tetra Tech Architects & Engineers gave a presentation of proposed improvements to Lake George School District’s buildings and athletic facilities at a public informational meeting held in July.
Photo by Thom Randall
LAKE GEORGE | Voters in the Lake George School District will be casting ballots Tuesday on whether to approve a $5.27 million project to renovate the local elementary and high school buildings and improve athletic facilities.
The vote is to be held from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Lake George Elementary School.
School officials say the project will not raise property taxes, as payments on an existing loan for a capital project, undertaken years ago, will end soon.
Boosting security of school buildings and improving access for people with mobility challenges have all been identified as top priorities for the new project.
Replacing the two boilers of the heating system at the high school, at a cost of $500,000, is also part of the project.
Reconstructing the school’s three deteriorated tennis courts, and adding a new court — at a cost of $775,000 — are also planned.
The proposed improvements additionally include resurfacing the running track at a cost of $400,000. These upgrades were determined earlier this year through meetings with school faculty and staff members.
If approved, architectural plans would likely be finalized by summer 2020. Construction would begin in August 2020, and completed by December 2021.
Of the $5,272,191 projected cost, $3.6 million would be paid for over 15 years through local property taxes via payments on a loan, school officials have said.
The $1.66 million balance of the total cost has already been collected and saved in a school district capital reserve fund.
Consultants hired by the school have said that incurring new debt in fall 2021 — when the district’s debt load drops substantially due to the retirement of a bond —would be advantageous to district taxpayers, because otherwise the state would lower the district’s maximum debt level allowable under the state’s tax cap.
Borrowing the $3.6 million would keep local tax rates stable, the school’s advisor have said.
One of the top priorities identified for the capital project is to boost security at the schools.
The proposal includes reconstructing the high school’s main entry to include a second set of doors that are locked and secured, as well as a check-in window.
Visitors to the school would be escorted to their destinations in the building.
Reconstructing the innovative existing “open classroom” configuration of the elementary school and building solid walls instead — to facilitate classroom lockdowns — as a security measure — is also planned.
Repairing the high school building’s double-hung windows and installing new fire alarms and smoke detection equipment are also elements of the project. Proposed improvements at the high school also include replacing the auditorium stage floor.
Renovations to both schools so they can accommodate contemporary educational technology has also been prioritized.
Proposed athletic facility improvements include upgrading the high school’s weight room — at a cost of $500,000 — to bring it into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The reconstruction of the tennis courts and addition of a new court are necessary for the school to host interscholastic tennis matches, school officials have said.
Work on baseball field drainage and constructing a press box and providing new sports field rest rooms and additional parking — and installing air conditioning at the high school — will likely wait for a future capital project, school officials have said.
