Parent meeting is Jan. 16

By Ashley M. Casey

Associate Editor

The North Syracuse Central School District has had to delay renovations to Karl W. Saile Bear Road Elementary due to “volatile market conditions” in the construction industry, district officials said at the Jan. 6 meeting of the NSCSD Board of Education.

Matt Erwin, director of facilities, outlined the revised timeline for the project at the BOE meeting. Erwin said the project is now expected to span from May 2020 to August 2022.

The district originally planned on starting construction in April 2020 with an expected completion date of March 2022. However, there is a high volume of similar projects vying for the attention of bidders. New York state also is experiencing a construction labor shortage, and the cost of raw materials is on the rise.

“As early as we identified this concern, we brought it to our construction manager,” Erwin told the Star-Review. “We want to get ahead of it before we start construction.”

The Jan. 6 meeting was the first BOE meeting since voters approved additional funding for the KWS Bear Road renovations in a referendum held Dec. 17, 2019.

The district considered two phasing alternatives to the original plan. One option would have split the project into four phases spanning 32 to 36 months. This plan was discarded because it was more likely to disrupt school schedules, forcing students and staff to move locations during the school year. The four-phase plan also posed parking and space conflicts and was more likely to go over budget.

“There were so many scenarios that were not good news,” Erwin said of the four-phase option.

Instead, the district has opted for a two-phase model that will take 24 to 27 months. This plan is likely to impact three cohorts of students — two each school year for two years. However, students and faculty will not be displaced during the school year under this plan. Space, parking and budget concerns are less likely with this model as well.

Phase 1 of work is now expected to begin in May 2020 with demolition of the front corridor. Part of the existing connecting corridor will be maintained and foundation work for the kindergarten addition will begin. Phase 1, which includes renovations to the front wing of classrooms, is estimated to last until June 2021.

Phase 2 of the project is expected to take place between July 2021 and August 2022. Infrastructure work, HVAC improvements and the boiler replacement will occur in the summer of 2021. During Phase 2, the gymnasium will be split in half and the kitchen/cafeteria will be relocated to one of those halves. Work is expected to conclude with improvements to the administrative offices with an expected completion date of August 2022.

During the public comment portion of the BOE meeting, KWS Bear Road PTO Secretary Amanda Maddison expressed her displeasure with the changes to the project.

“For almost two years the timeline has been one school year — this was repeatedly asked and answered by the district and now I, like many parents, feel lied to in an effort to get a budget passed,” Maddison said. “I have lost faith in a district that I have trusted to educate my children and provide an environment that will help shape them into a great people.”

Maddison said the reworked project will impact 300 students instead of the original 100 the district said would be affected.

“There are no answers on how this will impact the hardworking families who will now have to worry about potential changes in childcare and figuring out the added stress of having two or more children at different schools running on the same schedule,” she said.

Erwin said the district is “very much” considering the students in its plans, but the construction schedule must be modified to keep students and staff safe and ensure minimal disruption.

“Kids are going to love it,” he said of the renovations, which include a new playground. “First and foremost, we’ve got to make it safe for everybody.”

The district will host a meeting to address parents’ concerns about the renovations at 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 16, at KWS Bear Road.