Last night the school district held their informational meeting that focused on the school expansion that is set for vote next Thursday. There were quite a few people with concerns about the project which includes four new classrooms for the standard elementary school students and a new wing at that school specifically for BOCES students. The Lockport Union Sun & Journal reports...
Roy-Hart explains BOCES wing
MIDDLEPORT — With a new facilities project vote on the horizon, the Royalton-Hartland Board of Education attempted to answer some questions residents had about an addition to the elementary school that will house Orleans/ Niagara BOCES students.
Clark Godshall, Orleans/Niagara BOCES district superintendent, gave a presentation at Thursday’s meeting about the proposed addition. The facilities project will be broken down in two phases, the first being the BOCES addition, maintenance and improvements made to the elementary school. The second phase will be maintenance and improvements made to the middle and high schools. The reason for the addition is that BOCES needed a place for its elementary students, and housing them would bring some financial advantage for a school district, officials explained.
“Our lease is over; other districts want the opportunity to get their funds back,” Godshall said. “There are some advantages: BOCES will pay you money over 10 years.”Godshall said BOCES will pay in advance over the next decade to use the addition. The reason? “We need the space,” he said. According to the presentation, BOCES would pay the costs for construction, equipment, utilities costs and would use their own people as staff. If they used Roy-Hart staff, they would pay for them, too. The BOCES students would be contained to the wing, and a separate entrance to the addition would be built on Emerson Place, which runs around the school.
The $8.3 million project, up for a vote Jan. 17, wouldn’t cost residents anything, because of BOCES and the EXCEL state aid. Some residents did question what happens when BOCES decides to leave after the lease was up in 10 years.
“We find a place we like, we stay there,” Godshall said.Roy-Hart Superintendent Paul Bona said BOCES has never left a site on their own. The only time they leave is if they need space and the lease is up. The lease that BOCES and Roy-Hart would sign could be renewed. Godshall added that the worst-case scenario would be BOCES moving students who are scattered around Niagara County to the Roy-Hart site.
There was a reoccurring concern among residents who attended the meeting. Their comments centered on the affect the addition might have on the Gasport area and Emerson Place, where the entrance would be.
“I’m very concerned about the water and sewers,” said Gasport resident Nancy Conti. “I’m concerned about the small hamlet of Gasport handling such a large construction area. All of a sudden, that small hamlet that everyone enjoyed is going to be much busier and not so small anymore.”
Flooding had been a problem for the residents near the elementary school because of poor drainage, they said. There are existing plans, that are a part of the Facilities Project, that would fix the problem, according to John McKenna of McKenna Associates. McKenna is the architectural firm that would be in charge of the project.
A reason for the “rush” to vote, Bona said was because the state aid, or EXCEL aid, is only available for the 2007-08 school year and will run out June 30. The district wants to maximize the amount of aid it can receive, and this is the first time it has ever been offered. It may not be available again for a while, due to New York state’s poor financial situation, the district said.
Roy-Hart explains BOCES wing
MIDDLEPORT — With a new facilities project vote on the horizon, the Royalton-Hartland Board of Education attempted to answer some questions residents had about an addition to the elementary school that will house Orleans/ Niagara BOCES students.
Clark Godshall, Orleans/Niagara BOCES district superintendent, gave a presentation at Thursday’s meeting about the proposed addition. The facilities project will be broken down in two phases, the first being the BOCES addition, maintenance and improvements made to the elementary school. The second phase will be maintenance and improvements made to the middle and high schools. The reason for the addition is that BOCES needed a place for its elementary students, and housing them would bring some financial advantage for a school district, officials explained.
“Our lease is over; other districts want the opportunity to get their funds back,” Godshall said. “There are some advantages: BOCES will pay you money over 10 years.”Godshall said BOCES will pay in advance over the next decade to use the addition. The reason? “We need the space,” he said. According to the presentation, BOCES would pay the costs for construction, equipment, utilities costs and would use their own people as staff. If they used Roy-Hart staff, they would pay for them, too. The BOCES students would be contained to the wing, and a separate entrance to the addition would be built on Emerson Place, which runs around the school.
The $8.3 million project, up for a vote Jan. 17, wouldn’t cost residents anything, because of BOCES and the EXCEL state aid. Some residents did question what happens when BOCES decides to leave after the lease was up in 10 years.
“We find a place we like, we stay there,” Godshall said.Roy-Hart Superintendent Paul Bona said BOCES has never left a site on their own. The only time they leave is if they need space and the lease is up. The lease that BOCES and Roy-Hart would sign could be renewed. Godshall added that the worst-case scenario would be BOCES moving students who are scattered around Niagara County to the Roy-Hart site.
There was a reoccurring concern among residents who attended the meeting. Their comments centered on the affect the addition might have on the Gasport area and Emerson Place, where the entrance would be.
“I’m very concerned about the water and sewers,” said Gasport resident Nancy Conti. “I’m concerned about the small hamlet of Gasport handling such a large construction area. All of a sudden, that small hamlet that everyone enjoyed is going to be much busier and not so small anymore.”
Flooding had been a problem for the residents near the elementary school because of poor drainage, they said. There are existing plans, that are a part of the Facilities Project, that would fix the problem, according to John McKenna of McKenna Associates. McKenna is the architectural firm that would be in charge of the project.
A reason for the “rush” to vote, Bona said was because the state aid, or EXCEL aid, is only available for the 2007-08 school year and will run out June 30. The district wants to maximize the amount of aid it can receive, and this is the first time it has ever been offered. It may not be available again for a while, due to New York state’s poor financial situation, the district said.
