Board hears capital‑project update for Pleasant Valley and Schenectady High; storage, nurse suite and congestion raised as concerns

STI Design senior associate Alastair Atkinson presented a capital‑project update on Pleasant Valley and Schenectady High School, showing construction progress, phasing plans and near‑term milestones. The board followed with questions about storage lost to construction (notably for Air Force Junior ROTC), an incomplete temporary nurse suite at one site, building odors and student congestion around construction zones.

Why it matters: Major capital projects change building access, instructional space and operations during construction. The update outlines what will be finished soon, what remains to be scheduled, and what the district must manage to avoid disrupting programs or student safety.

Presentation highlights - Phasing and near‑term schedule: Atkinson said the project is moving through Phase 1 and into subsequent phases that include kitchen/serving line work, music room finishes and exterior improvements. He said some spaces (for example certain serving lines and the back music rooms) are already functional; other work remains. - Kitchen and receiving work: The high‑school kitchen work is being staged in two phases (upper and lower portions) so receiving and food‑service flows can be maintained during construction. - Permitting and approvals: Project staff said they are working toward State Education Department (SED) approvals; the presenter indicated further approvals and contractor bidding are pending in the coming weeks and that some field work is expected to begin next summer.

Board concerns and staff responses - Lost storage for programs: Air Force Junior ROTC and other programs reported losing storage space during renovation. Board members asked whether the district had identified replacement storage. Facilities staff confirmed they are working with building managers and program leads (including a named facilities liaison) to identify temporary or reallocated storage space; the transcript indicates this work is ongoing and that some interim storage has been located but not all needs are yet resolved. - Temporary nurse suite: Board members raised that the temporary nursing area is not yet complete. Staff acknowledged the temporary space will be finished soon and said temporary accommodations are being prepared (the project team estimated the temporary solution should be in place within the next few weeks). The board praised plan elements intentionally designed into the new permanent suites (for example, larger treatment rooms, multiple beds, privacy rooms and shower facilities), saying the new suites are a significant improvement over prior, smaller nurse spaces. - Odors and water stains: Members reported odors and ceiling water stains in some wings. Presenters said those items are being investigated as part of the construction/repair scope and will be addressed while the structural and finish work is completed. - Student congestion and circulation: The board discussed points of pedestrian congestion where students cross near active construction. Project staff said they will work with construction managers and district facilities to mitigate traffic flow and staging to reduce cross‑traffic during school hours.

Unresolved or unspecified items - Project costs: A board member asked about the project cost of a specific building (reference to the Corlier/Dan Corlier building). The transcript excerpt contained garbled cost figures and no clear final cost number; therefore cost figures were not reported in the meeting excerpt and are marked as not specified in this article. - Exact completion dates: Presenters gave milestone windows (some approvals expected in weeks; some construction phases expected to start next summer) but did not provide hard completion dates for every element in the excerpt.

Ending: The board received the update, directed staff to continue working on temporary storage and nurse‑suite accommodations, and requested continued oversight to ensure SED requirements, inspections and safety reviews are completed on schedule.