Day of decision for Nisky schools

Today is the big day for the Niskayuna Central School District. Voters are going to the polls to decide if a $94.5 million bond issue gets approved.

The district wants to make extensive renovations to all eight of its buildings, including new classrooms, building repairs, updated heating/cooling systems and technology upgrades.

The state will kick in enough aid to cover 67 percent of the total bill. That means we taxpayers would have to cough up $31 million over the next 20 years.

The big sticking point for me was a plan to relocate the media center in the high school—the one was just expanded and remodeled only 15 years ago. The plan is to move it to center of the building and turn the former media center into classroom space.

The district claims the current media center is not big enough anymore and that they get more aid from the state this way than if they tried to expand it again. That’s also why they aren’t building a whole new high school, as was once considered. Apparently the state gives more for renovating than building new.

There is also the added convenience of having it centrally located, instead of being at the back of the school where it is now.

I wasn’t completely convinced this was necessary. However, I voted “yes” anyway because so much of the work is needed.

You can get detailed descriptions of what’s planned for each school on the district’s site.