After completing Phase I of our two-phase capital improvement plan on schedule and within budget, we are happy to report similar circumstances for Phase II. This edition of the Capital Project eNews provides an update on the progress of Phase II and what to expect as we near the finish line.
Please remember you can submit your questions and comments about any aspect of the Capital Project using this form.
Phase II: Nearing the Finish Line
The second phase of the capital improvement plan involves the reconfiguration of driveways at Hudson Junior/Senior High School, as well as construction of a new primary wing at Montgomery C. Smith Intermediate School.
New Traffic Patterns
In late 2017, a new driveway was built on the north side of the high school campus to make the entrance to Hudson Jr./Sr. High School safer for pedestrians and school buses. By offering an alternative entrance/exit, fewer vehicles are required to cross in front of the campus’ main entrances. This is intended to help improve traffic flow and safety, especially during arrival and dismissal. See images of the new driveway and traffic pattern below.
As shown in the aerial image (below, courtesy of the Wheeler Drone), the new entrance/exit is a two-way road that opens onto Joslen Boulevard. The intersection, which was previously a three-way stop, is now a four-way stop. The district received a signed letter of approval from the Town of Greenport Highway Department in January 2017 that granted permission for the district to build a new driveway in this location. The only times this intersection will experience higher than usual volumes of traffic are during arrival and dismissal (about 8 a.m. and 2:35 p.m. on school days).
(Click here to view a larger image on our website.)
The new entrance/exit should be used for:
- Drivers dropping off or picking up students who go to the high school (arrival and dismissal)
- High school student and district office staff parking
The goal of this part of the capital project is to help improve traffic flow and pedestrian safety, especially during arrival and dismissal. The new parking lot configuration also includes a new turnaround section to allow vehicles to loop around the lot to exit (indicated by a yellow arrow in the image above). By offering an alternative entrance/exit, fewer vehicles will need to cross in front of the campus’ main entrances or wait behind school buses during dismissal.
High school staff, visitors and school buses should continue to enter the parking lot through the main entrance. Parent drop off/pick-up will not be permitted to come down the main driveway. If you have a student to be dropped off/picked up at the Junior High School, please use the entrance next to the Elks Lodge (201 Harry Howard Avenue).
Parking on Harry Howard Avenue
 The safety of our students is always our top priority. With that in mind, please be advised that the shoulders and crosswalks on Harry Howard Avenue directly in front of and across from the Jr./Sr. High School are and always have been No Parking/No Standing areas as indicated by the signage. These areas were not designed to be drop off/pick up locations as they are not part of the district’s property.
Despite the posted signs, each afternoon there are dozens of cars illegally parked along the road. Parking in these areas blocks complete access to the school entrances, causing visibility issues for vehicles attempting to exit the campus.
With so many vehicles illegally parked on the side of the road, many students are forced to wait in between parked cars, where they cannot be seen, and then dart out into oncoming traffic to cross over to the other side of the street. This situation is placing students in harm’s way when they attempt to cross Harry Howard Avenue. Additionally, the congestion caused by the number of vehicles parking alongside the roadway is impeding the natural flow of traffic.
Effective Monday, March 19, 2018, in conjunction with the Hudson Police Department, we will be enforcing the No Parking/No Standing area on Harry Howard Avenue. Please be sure to use the designated drop off/pick up locations provided on each end of the Jr./Sr. High campus and help us to protect our students.
If you have any questions or concerns about parking or changes to the traffic patterns, please contact the District Office at 518-828-4360, extension 2101.
Creating a Unified PK-5 Learning Community
Construction of the new primary wing at the Montgomery C. Smith School (MCSIS), which will hold classrooms and services for pre-kindergarten through Grade 1, is underway and on schedule to be completed for a September 2018 opening. The aerial image below, courtesy of the Wheeler Drone, shows construction progress.
We will schedule a tour of the new wing as soon as possible and invite families to visit prior to the start of the next school year. Principal Mark Brenneman is working on a plan for a student and parent/guardian orientation as he and MCSIS staff prepare to welcome PK-1 to the building this fall.
The merging of John L. Edwards Primary School (JLE) and MCSIS is scheduled to officially occur in September 2018, at which point MCSIS will become a unified PK-5 elementary building. A primary goal of the project is to make better use of space to increase energy efficiency. Furthermore, merging our buildings provides an opportunity to unify and strengthen our elementary learning community.
Parents and guardians of current JLE students will have an opportunity to speak directly with school staff about the upcoming transition during the JLE Parent/Teacher Conference Night on Wednesday, March 28, 2018 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. We will be available in the JLE cafetorium during this time and welcome the opportunity to discuss the project and answer any questions that families have.
The JLE school building is still owned by the district but there are plans to sell the building at some point. In order to do so, voter authorization will be required. The revenue received must and will be applied to existing debt service. The district will keep the process as open and transparent as possible. Please be assured that the community will be informed of updates throughout the process.
Staffing. The amount and types of support staff (e.g., classroom aides, reading specialists, speech therapists) as well as teachers of special subjects such as Art, Library, Physical Education and Music will remain the same.
To assist with the safety and management of additional students, there will be one elementary principal, one associate principal, and one dean of students. This staffing decision was determined during the 2018-19 budget development process and is intended to provide a suitable balance of leadership as well as maximize budgetary efficiency.
Our goal is to provide the same resources to staff and students that were available to them in the JLE building. However, as in past years, staffing needs at all schools are carefully reviewed each year as part of the annual budget development process to ensure efficient use of taxpayers’ dollars.
Transportation. Most changes to bus routes and procedures took effect in the 2017-18 school year when Grade 2 moved to MCSIS. This year, we worked with the Transportation Department to implement needed changes and improvements (such as additional bus runs, logistical and crowding issues or minor adjustments to arrival/dismissal times). While we will keep running bus routes with mixed ages, as they currently operate, we will continue to closely examine each one individually and make improvements as needed.
Looking Ahead to September 2018
It is an exciting time in the Hudson City School District as we begin to merge two buildings to make one elementary community.
There are many components to a successful transition and we are thankful to all who have been involved in this process as the district continues to work toward enhancing the educational experience of all our students.
Tentative Timeline
(See a larger infographic on the Capital Project webpage. Please note that this timeline of project construction and completion is approximate and is subject to change.)
The tentative scheduling for the remainder of the project is as follows:
- Fall/Winter 2017-2018
- Construction of the new primary wing at MCSIS is set to begin and will continue through the spring and summer.
- Spring/Summer 2018
- The entire project should be approaching completion by this time and finished prior to the start of the 2018-19 school year.
Ways to Get Involved
The architects, engineer and construction management team are available to meet on most Mondays at 11 a.m. Any interested party is welcome to attend by calling the District Office in advance at 518-828-4360, ext. 2101.
Facilities Committee Meetings
Interested parties are also welcome to attend the Board’s Facilities Committee meetings, which occur in the District Conference Room on a fairly regular basis. Please check the our homepage periodically for information about dates and times of these meetings. It is a good idea to call the District Office in advance to confirm at 518-828-4360, ext. 2101.
School Board Meetings
The Board of Education will meet  on Monday, March 26, 2018 at 6 p.m. in the Hudson Senior High School library. The first thirty minutes of the meeting will be dedicated to a budget workshop and the regular meeting portion will begin at 6:30 p.m. Check our website for meeting agendas, though Capital Project updates are regularly on the agenda!
As always, you can comment on the Capital Project any time by using this form to submit questions or suggestions about what you read in the Capital Project Update eNewsletter, or about the project in general.
Get more information about the project on the Capital Project webpage
Ask a question / send a message
Hudson City School District Board of Education
Dr. Maria Lagana Suttmeier, Superintendent
Meghan Tice, District Communications
|
