New York Mills school project will go to vote

A $9 million school capital project that includes a building expansion and a new roof will come before voters in the New York Mills Union Free School District Oct. 23.

The project includes several structural additions to the Marauder Boulevard campus, which houses grades kindergarten through 12th grade in one building.

The expansion will include:

* Two pre-k classrooms.

* Two special education classrooms.

* Three elementary grade level classrooms.

* One combination cafeteria-auditorium for elementary students.

* Three small service rooms for occupational, physical and speech therapy.

* One computer classroom designed for group instruction.

* Additional parking.

The project also provides for a roof replacement on two sections of the school, the addition of a handicapped-accessible entrance at Beekman Gymnasium, and updates to wiring, lighting, smoke detectors, ventilators, plumbing and a hot water storage tank.

The elementary grade levels need new classrooms as certain classes have sprawled across other parts of the school in recent years, Superintendent David Langone said.

The district has been short on space since the old elementary school on Main Street was closed in the early 1980s and younger students were moved to Marauder Boulevard, Langone said.

"At that time, we lost the use of about 14 classrooms," he said. "It's a key issue here - we've been playing catch-up ever since."