ALBANY — A familiar request will greet Albany school district residents on the April 2 ballot; a question asking that the school be allowed to make upgrades by borrowing by taking on debt that would raise the tax levy higher than allowed by state law.
Albany School Board President Steve Elliott has seen the planning for new projects unfold for the 14 months and been to community forums and meetings where the public has provided feedback. He believes the board is optimistic about a positive vote.
“When it comes down to it, if the public is not willing to put this into the school — basically $400,000 annually — the future of the district would be questioned,” Elliott said. “It would be very difficult to see a path forward with a modern, useful building without continued investment in capital for the district.”
The referendum request is not to exceed $2.75 million. Borrowing would be done in place of debt that is retiring this year, Elliott said, which means the referendum will not raise taxes, though taxes will not decrease as a result of the end of past debt either. The retirement of debt from the 2009 referendum would mean a reduction of $166 in property taxes for the owner of a $100,000 home.
Bonding will span eight years, Elliott said.
Work under the referendum would include the construction of a secure main entrance. Secure entrances have been the focus of school districts in recent years, given the increase in school shootings throughout the country. The office would house Superintendent William Trow, the district bookkeeper and district secretary. It would be placed on the southern side of the building between the cafeteria and gymnasium.
Elliott said the option to fill in a space where three walls already stood was the least costly and “it also will make our main office more than just two doors into an office.” There will be eight doors to use for main events at the school, he said.
Currently, Elliott and Trow both noted that anyone visiting the school building would be buzzed into the building by the secretary only to walk past about 10 classrooms, roughly 150 feet, before entering the main office to talk with administration.
“In this day and age, with safety, that’s just not a good situation,” Trow said.
The new administrator and 6 through 12 principal said he has observed the school for years as his children have attended and noted inadequacies, noting that the secure entrance “is a significant need.”
Bathrooms used for main events need accessibility updates and the roof needs to be repaired, Trow added. Elliott said roof repairs include sections above the band, choir, technical education and agriculture rooms.
Trow noted that in past years as a principal at Parkview Jr./Sr. High School he has seen upgrades add value to a building.
“It just sets a whole different tone to the building,” Trow said.
The building was constructed in portions over time, with the district first establishing it in 1922. Sections were added in subsequent years, from 1938 to 1951 then again in 1958, 1964, 1982, 1996 and 2010. The original portion, commonly referred to as the 1922 building, is roughly 10,000 square feet.
“If you could walk through it, I think you’d find six to seven different elevations between classrooms,” Elliott said.
That doesn’t work well for student use because the space poses challenges, especially for students with disabilities. Instead, it could serve as a space for a district office, providing a centralized location that Elliott said the board does not have currently.
Referendum work would allow for a multi-purpose programming space, which Elliott said could be used during the school day, but could also provide space for community events like yoga or martial arts courses. All plans are conditional upon the approval of the referendum, after which the district can move forward with engineering, Elliott said.