June 26, 2008
The following
comments were received at two community forums, June 19 and 21, as well as
through the email link on the ScotiaGlenvilleSchools.org web site.
The categories are in
alphabetical order:
Athletics/Fields
Declining Enrollment/Branding
District Office
EXCEL
Fields/Instruments
HS Library
HS Parking Lot/Broad Street
Maintenance
MS Auditorium
MS Guidance
MS Library
MS Science Labs
Pool
Solar Energy
Technology
Voting Date
The comments under
those categories are in no particular order.
¥ It is absolutely
critical that our athletic facilities be renovated. They are in a sad and
serious state of neglect. The track and outdoor fields are used not only by the
high school sports teams, but also by kids participating in PE class, youth
athletic teams and the community at large.
Scotia Glenville has a very strong running program (cross country/track) open
to any student who wishes to participate Ð however, the district cannot host
any track events because the track is unsafe. It is absolutely imperative
that the outdoor track be renovated, for our kidsÕ safety.
The RAND Corporation issued a study last year highlighting the importance of
athletic fields and school playgrounds in fighting childhood obesity, and other
studies have consistently shown the benefit of adolescent involvement in
sports and other extracurricular activities.
Please move forward with the renovation project. Our kids are depending
on it!
¥ We have a
successful sports program. The kids deserve to play on decent fields, at least
fields that are good. Now, you canÕt even sit on the stands out there and we
canÕt use our track any longer. That really has to be done. It would be nice to
use artificial turf 9-9 (am-pm), not just for football under the lights, but
also for soccer, lacrosse, etc. Good fields make a difference. Colleges
wouldnÕt offer every sport there is if they werenÕt importantÉ
¥ Scotia-Glenville is in
dire need of athletic field improvements.
These ÒneedsÓ are not simply to improve upon current conditions. No, I
believe the situation is nearing catastrophic levels and is far beyond the need
for simple cosmetic improvements. In some cases, such as with Track and Field,
these improvements are an absolute necessity in order for Scotia-Glenville to
hold athletic competitions on their home turf.
Speaking from my own
perspective, my son is currently a
7th grade athlete in modified basketball, soccer, and track and
field. I can attest to the need for immediate improvements to be made to both
the soccer fields and the track.
As far as soccer is
concerned, there is one corner of the modified soccer field that is a disaster
waiting to happen. From a spectatorÕs viewpoint along the sideline, you
literally lose sight of your childÕs body from waste down, as they fall into
the dangerous dip located on the southwest corner of the field. This is a
frightening scenario when you watch as your child runs at breakneck speed,
fully aware that ahead lies a dangerous and drastic difference in field level
which could easily result in serious injury. It would be a shame for the
district to procrastinate any longer in making repairs to this field, and pay
for the possible consequences of serious injury to one of its athletes.
My son is also a first-year
track and field athlete. I have to say that I was incredulous to learn that our
district is unable to hold home field track events because our facilities are
woefully inadequate. I find this to be a huge hit to a track & field athleteÕs
morale, as well as the pride and self-respect of the entire Scotia-Glenville
community. To add insult to
injury, and to further embarrass our schools, I have overheard athletes, both
S-G and otherwise, on more than one occasion remarking on the hideous state of
our athletic fields. Specifically,
at a recent track meet held at another Foothills Council school, I overheard
the remarks of their coaching staff and their happiness at learning that the
meet, which was originally meant as a S-G home track meet, was switched to
their school since S-GÕs track was
in such dreadful condition. They
went on to further remark that our facilities and various athletic fields were
less than adequate in other areas as well. I was hurt, offended, and most of all I felt the
embarrassment of S-G athletes.
I urge the Athletic
Department to continue pushing for these much needed improvements. The well-being of all Scotia Glenville
athletes is at stake, as well as the pride of the entire Scotia-Glenville
community.
¥ Our family also
recreationally uses the fields owned by the school district, and are also
pleased that they are receiving much needed attention.
¥ Have you (the BOE)
prioritized the list of projects? Where do fields fall on the list?
My daughter is on the
girls softball team. They are using the same fences as 25 years ago. I have
sent information about grants but have never heard back from the district.
¥ Turf sounds
awesome. I am excited that you are doing that.
¥ Have you looked at the
fields? And what condition they are in now?
¥ You canÕt be
shortsighted. You have to do it right in the long run. You should compare the
cost and use of artificial turf and sod. We need to address all of the fields
and not be shortsighted and cheap now. We need to stay current and not
embarrass the kids because of the facilities they have here.
People out there are
willing to help you with this, they are willing to help support the school
district. They would help to buy new bleachers, for example. People will pay
for it, if you ask them.
¥ The big question
seems to be how to use the extra aid to apply to the sports program without
giving them a free ride. Sports is not a mandated program.
I am not convinced
that sports is the best way to teach kids how to play together and work in
teams. It doesnÕt translate from sports to the business world. You need to be
smarter than that.
¥ The football field
is in good shape. Astroturf helps some of the problems of the grass, but we
have lots of grass. It seems that the turf should be used where people donÕt
have grass. We have grass here.
We could put up a
domed field for kids to play under. We could better control the condition of
the grass and make it work.
¥ Use of artificial
turf should be studied very carefully. There is a lot of controversy about
this. Tests have shown a variety of metals and organics that are dangerous for
kids.
It takes a lot to
maintain turf and is expensive in the long run.
The contaminants in
the turf could migrate to the local groundwater and soil.
It is abrasive on
skin when players fall on it at high speeds.
Natural turf can
provide a good playing surface, but there is no perfect solution.
There are already 150
chrome rubber fields around the state. New York City has already gotten away
from chrome rubber fields and are using another kind of turf.
¥ My daughter runs
track and they canÕt have a home meet here because itÕs not safe. We should
update all of the fields and the track.
¥ My child will not
benefit from this project, but my community will benefit. I think we can make
sure we get the support we need to improve the fields.
¥ I think you need to
bring something to a vote as soon as possible. I see other schools, like
Johntown, Amsterdam, Shenendehowa and they have passed new fields. If they do
it, we should be able to do it too.
We have community
pride, but you are failing sports. Others have beautiful fields and our kids
should have better fields as well.
¥ My husband and I
have three children in the Scotia-Glenville school district: a daughter in 2nd
grade and boys in the 5th and 8th grade. Our children
have been involved in baseball, football, basketball and soccer since they were
old enough to play in each sport. We believe as many others do that sports
teach children valuable life lessons such as the development of a work ethic,
teamwork and a sense of school and community pride. We also believe that
involvement in sports helps to create well-rounded individuals which is
important for long term success in college and the workplace. We also firmly
believe and have observed that being active in sports helps children succeed
academically which is most important.
Raising three
children who play sports year around has allowed us to see almost every other
surrounding athletic facility and often times we wonder why our facilities
cannot be improved and look like the ones we visit so frequently. Johnstown
sticks out in my mind as I recall seeing the town pour out to watch football
games on their multipurpose turf field and track facility. The SG football,
baseball, softball, lacrosse and track facilities are in need of much
attention. Additionally, limited field space also creates problems scheduling
youth sports practices. A new multipurpose turf field and stadium would help
alleviate that situation along with giving the community and students something
to be proud of.
My husband and I have also
noticed a trend in that fewer SG students are getting involved in sports. We
observe this at the youth and school sports levels. As we drive through the
community, we see many children not involved in anything, just wandering
around. This trend needs to be reversed and field improvements would help spark
a renewed interest in SG sports which is greatly needed. Additionally, there
will be trickle down effect as youth sports programs would grow by having
additional and improved practice facilities. Children need to be involved with
and take pride in their schools. Providing them with opportunities in sports
will better prepare them for life and develop a sense of pride in SG.
Neither myself nor my
husband grew up in Scotia and we could choose to live anywhere but we chose
Scotia-Glenville because we love the school system and the teachers and coaches
our kids have had. Just this week, our son participated in the first ever
Tartan Football Camp. Each night all last week the entire SG football coaching
staff gave up their free time to support skills training and provide fun for
some 70 youths, many who had never played football before. We have seen similar
dedication by the school staff in supporting summer camps and other events.
With gasoline at over $4.00 a gallon, we feel there is a shift back to the
community going on and away from travel sports, which is a very good thing.
Improved athletic facilities at Scotia-Glenville come at a good time and will
continue this momentum. Field improvements will naturally be a costly
undertaking however the payback to the community and youth will be worth it.
Please consider these
thoughts when voting to support the much needed field improvements at SG.
¥ Is our enrollment
declining because of what we have here? Or what we donÕt offer here?
Socioeconomics have changed here since I was a kid, but I donÕt want to see the
enrollment go down.
¥ (To deal with
declining enrollment) I think we
need to find a way to ÒbrandÓ our school, so that people have an idea of what
we stand for. I think now we are known as the place to move with your special
education students.
How do you put
together a package to attract more people? The boardÕs suggestion to make solar
part of this may be a good start. What can we put into this building project to
take advantage of a Òbrand?Ó
¥ Just because other
schools are declining in enrollment doesnÕt mean we have toÉ
He told of a school in
northern NY that built a dormitory and is attracting foreign students.
¥ I donÕt think weÕre
doing what we need to do with academics, I donÕt know that the quality is
there, the long-term vision. The labs are good, donÕt know about the libraryÉ
¥ District Office: in
a few years, weÕll be stuck with that building. Has any thought gone into what
to do with that space to create more state aid for the fields?
¥ It seems there are
certain incidental projects, like tearing down the Beukendaal building and
future use of the
district office, that are not the popular things. Your strategy should be to
propose fixing the popular things and use the incidental aid to pay for the
unpopular things. The board is trying to do the popular stuff now.
The majority of what is in the project can be ignored. YouÕve been ignoring
them for years now. How pressing was it after all?
You talked about a
districtwide communications system. Do we really need that?
¥ How do we attract
good staff with the way the District Office looks? I was there with a friend
from Niskayuna the other day and her jaw just dropped when she saw it Ð and I
had prepared her for stepping back into the 1970s.
We need to keep that
project (DO) at the forefront.
¥ Where does the
EXCEL money come from?
¥ A student at the
forum talked about both the condition of the fields and of her band instrument. The fields are embarrassing. My snare drum is even
held together with duct tape, there is no quality with the drums and I take
pride in my instrument.
¥ I support any and all
projects that will enhance both our children's education, and the sports
programs that round out their education. Having said that, I also realize
that we live in a community that has limits to how many improvements it can
afford.
With that in mind, I would like to suggest that regardless of the outcome of
this referendum, we spend time and energy maintaining the facilities either
after they are improved, or even if we are unable to make any substantial
changes. I believe that regular maintenance and upkeep can play a large
part in avoiding the need for large scale improvements. The current poor
condition of the fields, bleachers, track, etc... seem to be in large part due
to a lack of regular maintenance over quite a number of years.
I have always believed that maintaining is cheaper than replacing. I
realize that everything over time ages and eventually needs to be replaced, but
again, regular upkeep can maximize the life span of everything.
In conclusion, I would love to see many of the proposed improvements made, but
if this is not feasible, I would like to see a real concentrated effort made to
fix what we already have, and a more pro-active effort at maintaining our facilities
in the future.
¥ What percentage has gone toward routine maintenance, replacing blinds, etc.?
¥ Time is not on our
side. I know kids whose parents are taking them elsewhere. My daughter is
entering kindergarten in the fall, so of course, I want the best for her. ItÕs
like with your house, you have to take care of it and spend money on it
sometimes.
The schools are an
extension of our properties. If something happens here, we have to fix it up.
The longer you wait, the longer things pile up. Something needs to be done now.
I think that, at Scotia-Glenville, we always work with what we have and say
that is good enough Ð instead of placing the bar higher.
¥ One of the things that I believe should be included is a permanent audio system in the Middle School Auditorium. It was in the original plans when the facility was built. Unfortunately it was cut for budgetary purposes.
Currently the solution is to either drag out the drama club equipment, or use the small portable system donated by student council years ago. Both take time to set up and keep the facility from being used more often, since it has to be scheduled in advance.
Next year we will be permanently installing a video/data projector. The lack of a permanent, easy to use audio system will be the only limitation of the facility at that point.
¥ "Sound and
lights in the Middle School Auditorium"
This was one of the items cut from the original building project when costs
needed to be decreased. I truly don't have great hopes for success with this
item, but I don't want it to disappear from thought.
¥ The guidance space
at the middle school is not useful for parent meetings now Ð maybe something
could be done with that space.
¥ I completely support the
need for the MS LMC to be enlarged and enclosed. I have volunteered my
Mondays since September to help Debbie Collins and her staff. The library
the way it is currently is unacceptable. The shelving units that act as
the walls of the library are falling apart. The noise from the hallways
and the surrounding classrooms is extremely distracting. The
amount of space available for books, people and computers is inadequate.
I think that students and teachers would use the library more if it was more
like a real library. We have a fantastic staff at the MS LMC. Let's
give them what they need to help our students learn and grow. It's our
responsibility.
¥ I also am pleased
that the BOE is focusing on the needs of our middle school LMC. Our MS library
media specialist is building a dynamic program in a facility that lacks
learning space, technology, and an inviting atmosphere. Our department is
thrilled to receive your consideration in enlarging and enclosing this space to
create an instructional facility that complies with ADA regulations.
¥ Has the board
determined any other use for the library space, if you build a new one and the
library were to be moved?
¥ I support spending
money for the middle school library.
¥ We recognize the
changing needs in the science world and the need for us to upgrade our science
facilities in the MS.
¥ The labs should be updated.
¥ I would like to comment
on the HVAC systems or lack of in the LMC. During the winter months, often
times there is little or no heat circulating in the main part of the library,
seats near the winter areas are almost too unbearably cold to allow a person to
sit at a computer for any length of time.
In the spring and fall
when the temperatures rise and the levels of humidity are high the units
usually are inadequate to cool off the space to make a workable environment for
learning or research. In addition to both of the extremes of temperatures
mentioned, the units themselves are very loud and thus distracting.
I find that this situation
is not conducive to students or faculty attempting to find a quiet comfortable
place to work.
¥ A secondary concern of
mine as the high school library media specialist is the lack of a functioning
heating/cooling system and the size of the LMC. The four units that comprise
this heating/cooling system were intended as rooftop units, but were installed
in the mid 1980s below the ceiling of the LMC. These units blow at a high
decibel rate and cause interference with our instructional program.
Many groups prefer not to
meet in the LMC for this reason, and their members would not want to
teach/learn in this facility on a daily basis.
In fair weather, we are
able to open 3 out of 8 windows in the instructional area for ventilation.
Members of our department
have documented the condition of these units in the past, and continue to
document the impact of the units on our instructional program.
The latest impact is that
media production and many types of web 2.0 production, such as audio and video
podcasting, cannot be accomplished in our facility due to the blowing units.
In addition, our annual
attendance increased from approximately 30,000 students to 60,000 students in
the past 3 years.
Our 80 seats cannot
accommodate all of the students who wish to use the LMC during specific periods
of the day. Students must sit on the floor or leave our instructional space. At
this growth rate, we need your consideration in expanding the LMC to add
additional instructional space.
¥ Heating and cooling
issues at the high school library. Can we get that fixed? We have become so
accustomed to not tolerating any changes in temperatures, even one degree
upsets us!
¥ Our libraries have
an incredible staff and it is so important that we make the libraries the hub
of the buildings, like we did at the elementary schools. Now we need that at
the middle school and high school. If you have to use a microphone at the high
school library to be heard, that will just turn kids away.
¥ The way the high school
library is now, you canÕt do instruction there because of the loud sounds. I am
very confident that Jan (Tunison) has the skills to make this work out right.
¥ Unfortunately I can't make
it to the meetings. However, many people, staff, parents, neighbors feel that
the present situation of the new parking lot behind the high school needs to be
addressed.
When the money saving switch was made from new tennis courts to a new parking
lot we were promised that there would be no access through to Route 147.
A fence with a gate was installed but the gate never worked and
is now
missing. The fence is temporary and falling down.
During the school day this has become a major traffic problem with cars going
in every direction, through the high school campus.
During sporting events our students are in harms way. On weekends hundreds of
cars use the school parking lots as a shortcut to wherever they are speeding
to.
At a community meeting Mr. Marcelle proposed dividing the big parking lot in
two with an electronic gate system that staff could use. Of course we knew this
would never happen, or work.
We could wait until a speeding car at midnight crashes into the gym lobby, or a
tennis player gets hit while getting ready for a match, or one of the students
with disabilities who gets dropped off at the gym is injured, or any number of
potential problems this current situation has created takes place.
Cars should not be able to go through the high school campus from Broad and
Schermerhorn to Rt.147. This was the original promise Ð which has not been kept.
I realize the fire department says that they need full access but they now have
so much more access to the back of the school than ever before.
Making the area behind the small gym grass with curbs would not stop a fire
truck from going where they needed to.
Please address this before a high school student or Sacandaga student is
seriously injured. Thank you for this opportunity.
¥ After looking over the
planned proposals, I feel there is a need for the middle proposal. I am very
disappointed in the fact Scotia has yet to include a pool in their budget. I am
also disappointed that my boy champion swimmers do not have the opportunity to
swim for Scotia, nor are they allowed on any other High School swim team. It
would be great to have a combination boys swim team with Burnt Hills like
we do in other sports. We have many talented swimmers, who unfortunately are
unable to participate in their sport for their school.
¥ A pool is also
something we should do, maybe in the second phase.
¥ We need a pool.
This is something the whole community could benefit from and there are
therapeutic benefits to it. Is there any way we could use solar panels with the
pool to reduce the costs of the pool?
¥ What facilities
would be considered for solar energy? I would like to see more money spent for
maintenance and would like to see a focus on things, like solar energy, that
would benefit the facility in the long run.
¥ I favor solar
energy. I think it could be a good thing for the district.
¥ I like the solar
option. If you can use technology to help us to reduce costs, thatÕs great. We
could also look at wind, wherever we can do this.
¥ Have other schools
done solar energy? Have we checked into that? Does state ed. know that we are
looking at this? We donÕt want it to slow the approval process once they get
it.
¥ I think of the
exercise bikes in the fitness center and our concern with diabetes and obesity.
ItÕs a crazy idea, but is there any way to harness all of the kidsÕ energy for
our benefit?
¥ We need to upgrade
technology to add SMART boards.
¥ Can we vote on
general election day in November? Would that save us some money?