ALLEGANY, N.Y. — Reports on the capital project for campus upgrades as well as a current garden project were provided Tuesday during the Allegany-Limestone Central School District Board of Education meeting.
Dr. Karen Geelan, the district superintendent, said meetings have been ongoing this summer for staff input on the $16.1 million capital project that would bring improvements and upgrades at the district’s two campuses.
The project, which calls for a variety of improvements and safety upgrades at the elementary and middle-high school campuses, is expected to begin in the spring of 2019 and completed in 2020. Geelan and project managers said additional funds have been factored into the budget to allow for inflationary hikes.
Geelan said information from this summer’s meetings will help architects with their designs for the campuses. She said core samples of soil have also been taken from the grounds near the schools to provide an understanding of the pavement composition at the campuses.
“We had a lot of conversations about the tennis courts (at the middle/high school) and unfortunately the set of courts (near the parking lot) has damage,” Geelan noted. “We might not be able to get away with just a resurface that we were hoping to do. It might take an actual rebuild.”
The project is being conducted by the architect and construction management team, Clark, Patterson, Lee and Campus Construction, respectively. Geelan and project managers said additional funds have been factored into the budget to allow for inflationary hikes.
On another topic, Geelan said work on phase one of the Healing Garden, located behind the middle/high school, is nearing completion. Plans for the garden, which will provide the community an area to remember and reflect, began a couple of years under the direction of student council adviser Linda Dodd-Nagel.
Assisting with the project is Gordon Scott of Scott’s Landscaping in Allegany. Several student clubs and organizations had offered to donate their time and money to support the garden.
The class of 2015; the class of 2019; the Leo Club, advised by Martha Torrey; Friends of Rachel, advised by Terra LaCroix; the Natural Helpers and numerous other students had contributed $10,000 total to the endeavor.
In addition, a fundraiser that provides memorial or honorary bricks for individuals is ongoing. Geelan said a number of the bricks have already been placed on the grounds of the site, and more are available through donations.
“It’s never too late to get a brick,” Geelan said. “It’s just a beautiful start to this idea … it’s taking shape and now you can sit out there and enjoy it.”
Geelan said the garden overlooks playing fields at the middle/high school, and will offer a prime seat for future games on the upgraded fields.
Dodd-Nagel, who was at the meeting, thanked administrators and the board for their help with the project.
“I wanted to say thank you to Dr. Geelan and all of you for supporting this endeavor,” Dodd-Nagel told the board. “It took a while, but it’s getting there and I’m really happy with how it’s coming together.”
Under personnel matters, the board approved the appointment of Chad Lyter as a long-term substitute teacher; Stephan Ahl to teach French, grades seven through 12, for a salary of $39,140; and Sabrina Irvin to serve as a long-term substitute teacher.
