NORTH SYRACUSE — Many of the buildings in the North Syracuse Central School District are 40 to 60 years old — some even older. The district’s most recent major upgrades are 20 to 30 years old.
Over the next several years, NSCSD is planning to give its facilities a facelift. District residents voted on the first phase of North Syracuse’s long-range plan last school year. NSCSD will present the next round of renovations to voters in a referendum Dec. 6.
This phase of the long-range facilities plan includes safety and security upgrades, infrastructure improvements at Gillette Road Middle School and the North Syracuse Early Education Program on Main Street, and athletic complex site work at Gillette Road Middle School.
These renovations will total $61.2 million. If voters give the district the green light, most of the cost will be covered by building aid. NSCSD estimates a local tax impact of about 0.5%.
“As community assets, we must regularly invest in our schools to preserve their integrity and value as teaching and learning environments,” Superintendent Daniel Bowles said. “It is essential that we continually address issues of building safety and replace systems that have exceeded their life span.”
Read on for more details about each component of the project:
Safety and security
Proposition 1: $32 million
The district plans to make several security upgrades across its numerous campuses:
• Communication: NSCSD will replace aging public address systems with a new campus notification system, update fire alarms, and install a district -wide two-way radio system. Exterior and interior signage will be revamped to improve wayfinding.
• Doors and hardware: The district will install new interior and exterior doors, replace lock cores with new keying systems, upgrade secure building entries and install security film at exterior doors and gathering areas.
In addition, the district will renovate bathrooms at North Syracuse Junior High School to comply with Americans with Disabilities Act standards and improve supervision.
GRMS/NSEEP infrastructure
Proposition 2: $21.2 million
The district will upgrade the heating, air conditioning and ventilation (HVAC) systems at Gillette Road Middle School.
At the North Syracuse Early Education Program, located in the Main Street School in the village of North Syracuse, the roof and water main will be replaced.
GRMS athletic complex
Proposition 2A: $8 million
NSCSD is proposing a multi-purpose turf field, a walking trail and reconstruction of the parking lot at Gillette Road.
Important dates
The district will hold a public information meeting about the project at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 29, at the Jerome F. Melvin Administrative Office Building (5355 W. Taft Road) in North Syracuse.
The referendum takes place from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 6. District residents who live north of Route 481 will vote at Cicero Elementary. Residents who live south of 481 will vote at the Administrative Office Building.
For more information about voter qualifications, registration or absentee ballots, contact District Clerk Jillian Herrera at 315-218-2131.
