• Questions about bus garage/maintenance facility answered pdf (new window)

• Photo updates: Aug. 31, 4; July 20, 6; June 23, 1; May 18, 5; Apr. 27, 13; March 23. 10

• Progress updates: Feb. 16, Jan. 5, Dec. 1, Nov. 18, Sept. 30, 2009

• Bids awarded for capital project
   

Capital project almost finished

   The $17 million capital project approved by voters in February, 2008 is coming to a very successful conclusion.
----- The high school physical therapy/physical fitness room is now being used by students and staff and is expected to be open to the public around the first of the new year.
----- All school buses and equipment are now under cover in the new garage/maintenance facility. The wash bay is complete and the maintenance bay is almost complete.
----- The Harry Hoag library/media center is being well used. The center provides more about 1,700 square feet of additional space including  additional classroom space, and computer lab with 25 computers and a Smartboard.
---- Harry Hoag offices, hallways, and front kiosk are awaiting finishing touches. The energy efficient windows are in. Still to go in are trophy cases and a time capsule. The new parking  lot and traffic pattern have improved the flow of traffic and safety for students. Photo page update

School board approves addition to capital project at no cost to public

      At its Sept 21 meeting, the board of education approved approximately $1 million in work to be added to the capital project approved by voters in 2008. The project addition will update technology infrastructure, and improve communications, safety and energy efficiency. There will be no additional cost to taxpayers for these improvements.

       The work includes: reconstruction of a fire access road and two parking areas at Harry Hoag Elementary School; replacement of entrances, vestibules and doors at Harry Hoag; and upgrading of the telephone system, control access system and video surveillance system district-wide. The new technology infrastructure will incorporate the security and communications systems into one, bringing the district up to date technology-wise. The current technology infrastructure is 11-12 years old.

        The work is within the guidelines of what the voters approved in the original scope of the project. In planning for the original $17.2 million capital project, district officials prioritized items, and obtained estimates for those items. Based on those initial estimates, they removed various items from the project. The items included in this next phase are those initially deleted from the original project.

       The $1 million became available because:
• capital project bids came in lower than expected,
• project plans were so well drafted the district did not have to use very much of funds set aside for contingency,
• the project was very well managed and contractors stayed on or below budget
• by borrowing through the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York, the district was able to save a significant amount of money on borrowing costs.

        Formal plans for the work will be drawn up and the plans will be submitted to the State Education Department for approval. After state approval, the work will be put out for bid. “The idea is to spend up to the exact bond amount as you can. Anything you don’t spend you will have to give back and your state aid will be reduced as well. This new work will give us full value for the amount approved by taxpayers,” said District Business Manager Carl Rockefeller.

August 31 ( sign, bus garage, traffic island,  Hoag library, Hoag front, new windows)

August 4 (bus garage, Hoag front, new classroom windows, playground)

July 20 ( bus garage, Hoag front, high school addition)

July 6 (high school addition, Hoag front, bus garage, Hoag interior)

June 23

The capital project is right on schedule. The new playground should be completed by mid-July, the bus garage should ready for use by the start of the new school year, as will new rooms at Harry Hoag and the high school addition. An open house and dedication will be held in the fall. Photos show the bus garage, Harry Hoag front, and high school addition.

June 1 photos ( bus garage, Harry Hoag front)

May 19 photos (Hoag front,  bus garage, Hoag interior)

May 5 photos (high school, Hoag front, parking lot/garage)

April 27 photos (traffic pattern, Harry Hoag front, bus garage)

April 13 photos

FIRST ROW: Harry Hoag parking lot, bus garage, school front
SECOND ROW: Inside Harry Hoag, Harry Hoag hallway, high school addition

March 23 photos ( Harry Hoag front,  offices at Hoag)

March 10 photos (high school, Harry Hoag school, bus garage)

Progress to Feb. 16

--- Steel for the bus garage is going up
---Heating units inside the high school addition are being installed
---At Harry Hoag, the back wall has been removed, site work at the front of the school is progressing well. The lack of snow has helped outside work considerably.
--- It is hoped that the new windows will arrive before the April Spring break
--- Overall, the project is going very well.
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Progress to Jan. 5

----Steel is up at the high school addition - waiting for roof decking
---- A committee is working with fitness consultant Jim LaFountain concerning the  design of the new physical therapy and fitness center
----The playground committee continues work on playscape designs
----Bus garage foundation is poured- waiting for steel to arrive
----Inside work at Hoag progressing well

Progress to Dec. 1

----The foundation for the high school addition is in
----Two-thirds of the footers for the bus garage have been poured; excavation continues in the back hill
----Drainage work by the kindergarten wing is complete, solving a longstanding problem
----Front entrance to Harry Hoag school is almost ready to be torn off
----Work continues on the entrance to the school, a new flagpole will be installed
---- The playground committee visited four districts to get ideas for equipment at Hoag
      *** The project is moving right along, helped by warmer than normal weather in November

 Progress to Nov. 18

---- Concrete has been poured for the walls of the high school addition
---- Excavation continues at the bus garage site, footings are being prepared
---- The roof at Harry Hoag is finished with only detail work to go. 
---- Footing for the new sign at Hoag is in with brick work underway
---- Playground committee is visiting nearby communities to help them make a decision on new playground equipment at Hoag
---- Forms for footings of the new front at Hoag are being installed
---- Work on drainage at the kindergarten wing is expected to be complete in a week.

**** The work is progressing ahead of schedule!!!

September 30 photos (garage demolition, site work )

Capital project bids awarded

           At its July 29 special meeting, the  Board of Education  awarded bids totaling $12.8 million for the capital construction project approved by school district voters in February, 2008.

          Putrelo Building Enterprises Inc. was awarded the general construction contract in the amount of $6.7 million. Additionally, Putrelo received alternate awards of $9,000 for window covering treatment and $36,000 for wall tile work in Harry Hoag Elementary School.
Central New York Construction was awarded the contract for site work in the amount of $1,669,500 plus alternates of $112,000 to resurface the running track and $28,690 for additional drainage work at Harry Hoag Elementary School.

         The school board awarded other bids as follows:
• Roofing: S & L Roofing and Sheetmetal, Inc., $1,549,000
• Electrical: Schenectady Hardware & Electrical Co., Inc., $1,330,000
• Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning: DiGesare Mechanical, Inc., $868,000
• Plumbing: Merit Plumbing & Heating LLC, $477,000

     Superintendent of Schools Douglas Burton said that even with the alternates, the total bids came in about $200,000 under the projected total construction cost.

        The project includes a new transportation facility; a number of educational, structural and energy improvements at Harry Hoag; reconfigured traffic loop and parking at Hoag; a three-room addition at the Junior/Senior High School; and replacement of the West Street steps.

     One interesting aspect of roof repair and construction at each school is the inclusion of solar panels that will be anchored to the steel in the roofs. These panels will not only enable the district to reduce its energy costs, but will also be used as a teaching tool in science classrooms. Students will be able to monitor the panels via computer to observe and measure how well the panels are working.

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pdf of Capital Project brochure

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