Queensbury Union Free School District is proposing a $39 million capital project called “Success for our Future,” which will renovate the 55-year-old Queensbury Elementary School.
Queensbury residents will have a chance to vote on the project from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 12 at the Queensbury Elementary School gymnasium, 431 Aviation Road.
“We are really excited to be able to offer this tax-neutral capital improvement project, which will significantly enhance the classrooms and instructional spaces in our elementary school,” said Superintendent of Schools Kyle Gannon. “Elementary faculty, staff and community have spent two years planning this important and necessary project.”
The district plans to modernize the school and transform it into a fresh, bright, contemporary space for Queensbury children to learn and grow. Dark, heavy wooden furniture will be removed and replaced with flexible desks with multiple seating options. Chalk boards will be removed and replaced with white boards.
“Right now, our youngest students are receiving a 21st-century education, yet, their classrooms are still stuck in the 1960s,” Gannon added.
The wings of the school will be reconfigured, and Learning Commons will be
added to provide students with opportunities for hands-on exploration and collaboration with other classes. The current cafeteria will be expanded into a “cafegymatorium,” creating a multifunctional space that can also be used for physical education and community events.
The plan calls for two new elementary playgrounds — one for UPK and kindergarten and another for grades 1-3. The relocation of the current playground will allow for a new access road to alleviate traffic congestion on campus.
If the measure is approved by voters, about 20% of the funding will be allocated to improvements at the Queensbury Middle School to replace part of the roof and a boiler as well as the windows on the side and back of the school.
This proposal also includes renovations to the bathrooms at Queensbury High School. To allow for the future accommodation of election buses, the bus garage will be updated to add electrification and charging stations.
Tax increases will not be required to fund this proposed capital project. For Queensbury, 75% of every dollar spent on construction will be paid for by state taxes.
In May 2022, the Board of Education supported the authorization of a $4 million capital reserve for this project. That money will be used to pay cash up front, allowing the school to borrow less, thus reducing interest costs and principal payments.
The district will present its proposed capital project during two virtual community meetings on Nov. 28 and Dec. 5.
“Our goal is to construct a foundation for lifelong learning and endless possibilities for our elementary students,” said QES Principal Jessica Rossetti. “This project will help our students build their dreams and inspire their futures.”
Click here to read the Fall 2023 Special Edition Connections newsletter.