GUILDERLAND - School district voters here gave a resounding yes on Tuesday to a $27 million building renovation project.

Sixty percent of the 1,771 voters approved a project that will renovate the five elementary schools, improve safety and technology district-wide, and build a new district office. The referendum passed by solid margins in all five elementary-school polling places.

School-board members who had gathered in the Guilderland Elementary School gym after the polls closed applauded and cheered as the results were announced just before 10 p.m. All nine board members had backed the $26.97 million proposal.
"We're thrilled," said the outgoing superintendent, Gregory Aidala; he is retiring this week after seven years of leading the district.
"Absolutely," chimed in John McGuire, the district's new superintendent, who put in his first full day on Tuesday, visiting district schools.
"We just want to thank the community for their support," said Aidala. "There was a low turnout but solid support," he said.
"This is very consistent with what I see as the support of this community for education," said McGuire. "This not only protects the district's investment but continues to maintain an environment conducive to learning."
Aidala nudged his successor and quipped, "It makes sure John gets a new office."
Aidala had said earlier that he saw the current project as "Phase Three of a 15-year project to address facility needs." The high school was renovated in 1997 in a $24 million project; the middle school was expanded and upgraded in 2002 for $20 million; and the bulk of the current project - $17.4 million - is to upgrade the five elementary schools.

The schools in Altamont and Westmere are the oldest, built in 1953, followed by Guilderland Elementary in 1956, Lynnwood in 1966, and Pine Bush in 1994. Upgrades will range from parking lot improvements to roof replacement.

The next largest chunk - $5.7 million - will be used to improve technology and safety.
"The technology emphasis is good for the district," Aidala said on Tuesday night. "We've always done technology as an annual budget expense"What better time to do this than when you've got the walls opened up"" he asked of installing cabling.

About $3.9 million will be spent on relocating the district's administrative offices from an old golf clubhouse near the middle school to Guilderland High School, and also constructing 10 new classrooms to make up for the displaced space.

Voters on Tuesday marked paper ballots, placing them in locked wooden boxes because, Aidala explained, voting machines are impounded for 30 days after the Nov. 6 municipal elections. Fourteen ballots were blank or disqualified.

A facilities committee, working with Collins & Scoville Architects, studied needs for months, paring down plans from $38 million. The renovations are slated for completion by the fall of 2010.

To pay for the project, $2 million will come from the district's fund balance; $750,000 will come from a capital reserve fund set up this year; and $1.78 million will come from state EXCEL (Expanding our Children's Education and Learning) Aid.

The district plans to borrow the remaining $22.4 million - at 4.75 percent interest over 15 years - with state building aid reimbursing 60 percent of that.

That leaves $9.4 million for local taxpayers to shoulder, which the district estimates at 16 cents per $1,000 of assessed value. The average home in Guilderland is assessed at $180,000, for which the tax increase would be $29 a year for the $27 million project, the district estimates.
After the results were announced Tuesday night, school board President Richard Weisz said, "We thank the public. We think they understood you have to maintain the infrastructure or you pay more in the long run. We appreciate their support."