Next week, kids across Central New York will be boarding the bus and heading back to school. In Liverpool and North Syracuse, they’ll find some new teachers, new administrators and new friends, as well as new classroom materials and more. What else is new in your child’s school? Read on to find out.
Liverpool
A number of Liverpool students will be going to a new school entirely as the district implements its much-discussed redistricting plan. About 200 students will change schools under the plan, which will bring about the following changes:
From Donlin Drive Elementary to Nate Perry Elementary:
- All buildings in the Norstar Apartments complex
From Long Branch Elementary to Liverpool Elementary:
- Wilson Avenue
- Parker Avenue
- North Roosevelt Avenue
- South Roosevelt Avenue
- North Lincoln Avenue
- South Lincoln Avenue
- Harding Avenue
- Harding Avenue South
- Tyler Terrace
- Walters Drive
- Cleveland Avenue
- Garfield Avenue
- Cold Springs Road from 1000 to 1225
From Elmcrest Elementary to Soule Road Elementary:
- Landsend Lane
- Doncaster Court
- Devon Court
- Deptford Court
- Erica Court
- Ealing Court
- Ebury Court
From Elmcrest Elementary to Morgan Road Elementary:
- Alperton Court
- Alban Court
- Grosvenor Court
- Albury Court
- Aldgate Court
- Acton Lane
- Amersham Court
- Aldwych Court
From Nate Perry Elementary to Chestnut Hill Elementary:
- Buckley Road (houses directly on Buckley south of Seventh North Street)
- Douglas Avenue
- Gray Avenue
- Drexler Avenue South
- Sunrise Terrace
- Kearney Avenue
- Irving Avenue
From Willow Field Elementary to Soule Road Elementary:
- Moss Oak Trail
- Pinyon Path
- Plum Yew Circle
- Sugar Pine Circle
- Choke Cherry Way
Renovations to begin at CHE, CHM
Students at Chestnut Hill Middle and Chestnut Hill Elementary will also be in new buildings next year, although temporarily.
CHE students will move to the empty Wetzel Road building for at least the next two years, though Principal Todd Bourcy thinks it’ll be closer to three, while the Chestnut Hill complex is renovated. Construction will begin at CHM; middle school students will receive instruction at CHE while their building is completed, then workers will move on to the elementary school.
Bourcy said there’s a stark contrast between WRE, which is at the opposite end of the district, and CHE.
“Wetzel is much nicer than what Chestnut Hill was before the upgrade,” he said. “For us, it’s a much larger building. It’s a good 10,000 square feet bigger. It’s got more classroom space, more office space. It’s a great educational opportunity for us.”
The move to Wetzel also means construction can move along much more quickly, according to CHM Principal Michael Baroody.
“They can have at it,” Baroody said. “There’s no need to wait for breaks to do asbestos removal if it’s present or to do demolition that’s loud and noisy. It’s not going to impact our educational environment. This is better for everybody.”
Neither of the Chestnuts has seen any real renovations, save for a roof replacement in 1998, since they were built in the early 1960s. This project will give both buildings a full overhaul.
“We want every child in Liverpool to have a similar experience, whether they’re at the southern end of the district or the northern end,” Bourcy said. “We want them to know what it feels like to be a Liverpool student and for the opportunities available to be as consistent as possible, and that hasn’t been the case. We’ve had diminishing enrollment, and we haven’t known if our buildings were going to be closed. I get that. But now we’re going to get a different feel. We’re going to bring these buildings into the 21st century and create different learning opportunities these kids haven’t had before.”
The elementary school is also fundraising for a new playground, which Bourcy said the PTO hopes to have completely installed by the time students return to CHE in a couple of years.
“It’s going to be something for that end of the district to be proud of,” he said.
North Syracuse
School starts in the North Syracuse Central School District on Tuesday, Sept. 8. At the elementary level, faculty are continuing to work on aligning the curriculum with Common Core Learning Standards. The schools continue to work with the Lucy Caulkins Writing Workshop program, which offers 10- to 15-minute mini-lessons using literature or the teacher’s own writing. The teacher is able to meet the needs of each student by differentiating their instruction and gearing it based on information gathered throughout the workshop.
Cicero-North Syracuse High School’s cafeteria foyer has undergone a major renovation in order to make it more visually appealing as well as to turn it into more of a classroom. The new design, inspired by college lounge areas, will allow C-NS teachers to bring classes to the foyer instruction area where students can work in groups, pairs or individually.
Upcoming referendum
The district hopes C-NS won’t be the only school to get a facelift this year. On Sept. 24, the NSCSD will hold a referendum to ask voters to approve renovations to the junior high on Taft Road, including:
- Replacement of the auditorium roof and adjacent roof areas
- Design and abatement of roofing system components that contain asbestos
- Replacement of main gymnasium flooring system
According to Proposition No. 1 of the referendum, “designated portions of the roof and floor have exceeded their useful life and should be replaced as a necessary part of maintaining the building.” The roof is leaking in a number of places, and state regulations require the removal of asbestos if it will be disturbed during a construction project.
The project has an estimated cost of $1 million, but the district said there will be no local tax impact, as the project will be funded by state aid. They do, however, require the voters to approve their use of the state funds for the construction.
The referendum also asks voters to approve the establishment of a capital reserve fund, or savings account, to “pay for the costs of the repair and reconstruction of district facilities and the acquisition of materials required for such repairs and reconstruction.” The fund would be started with $500,000 in unused Kindergarten Conversion Aid granted to the district when it switched to full-day kindergarten; continued funding would be provided over the next 15 years through various sources, including state aid and, according to Proposition No. 2, “cost saving measures resulting in unexpended funds or an unappropriated fund balance.” The district hopes to ultimately save $2.5 million in the account. This, too, will come at no cost to the taxpayers.
“With 11 schools and multiple office and out buildings, the district holds over $210,000,000 in property assets (before depreciation) and has a fiduciary responsibility to maintain the facilities that have been entrusted by the community,” Proposition No. 2 reads. “The district is currently performing a Building Condition Survey, which is required by the New York State Education Department every five years. The survey has already identified many needs. Frequent capital projects will be required to replace roofs that are at the end of their useful life. K.W.S. Bear Road, Lakeshore Road and Cicero elementary schools are all in need of renovation. In 14 years, the turf at the Michael J. Bragman Stadium will need to be replaced. At that time, the stadium will be 30 years old and will need renovations.”
The district plans to hold an informational meeting about the referendum on Tuesday, Sept. 15.
The vote will take place from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 24. Residents living north of Route 481 should vote at Cicero Elementary School on Route 31, while those living south of Route 481 should vote at the district office on Taft Road.
For more information, visit nscsd.org.
