Schools leader wants capital project in South Glens Falls

SOUTH GLENS FALLS -- Getting approval for a plan to upgrade the school districts facilities and closing the budget gap for 2015-2016 are among Superintendent Michael Pattons short- and long-term priorities.

Patton outlined the districts financial affairs and capital needs at a recent community budget workshop.

South Glens Falls schools have not undertaken a capital project since 2001.

The district would like to build an addition to the high school to house new science laboratories. Patton said the science classrooms are now located in the oldest part of the building. He would like to relocate the district offices to where those science rooms are.

Right now, the high school is at 100 percent capacity. There isnt too much free space in the building, he said.

Also being explored is the construction of additions onto Ballard and Tanglewood elementary schools. Both buildings need more room for larger media centers and space for support services such as reading intervention, according to Patton.

Theyre working in very tight quarters, he said. Often times, they could be in offices the size of a closet.

Patton said district officials also want to improve the traffic pattern at the high school by separating the bus traffic from the car traffic of parents dropping off children and students driving themselves to school.

The project would also include construction of a new bus garage. The present garage, located behind Harrison Elementary School, has served well beyond its useful life, according to Patton.

School officials want to build a new garage on a site elsewhere in town, for which they need 14 acres.

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Schools leader wants capital project in South Glens Falls