A new and exciting transition is under way in the Central Square School District, as district office personnel have begun their move out of the district building and are being integrated into the schools.
While the high school has already begun welcoming most district office staff, the food services department will be housed in the middle school, as this is where the majority of food production already takes place and freezers can be consolidated for added efficiency.
Student Services, including Special Education, will also be moving to Paul V. Moore, however, staff can still be reached at their current numbers until the new phones are operational.
This will allow for better continuity of student services, while also allowing the district to dedicate more of its budget to instructional programming for students.
The district office building is facing a number of fiscal and structural challenges.
One of the many factors considered was a Building Condition Survey conducted by HUNT Engineers Architect Surveyors, PC., that identified approximately 4.6 million dollars of work that would be needed in order for the building to remain usable as a district office for the long term.
The building also does not meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards, as it does not currently have elevator access.
In addition, the building is zoned as non-instructional office space, meaning most of the costs associated with its upkeep is not eligible for NYSED aid reimbursement, which averages about $50,000 a year for basic utilities.
With the help of grant funding, such as the Smart Schools Bond Act, various other positive changes are on the horizon for CSSD, including a district-wide technology infrastructure upgrade.
By moving district personnel back into the school buildings, it is a great opportunity for more staff to utilize the benefits of these upgrades.
This integrative transition is also part of the district’s initiative to create a greater sense of unity, while also minimizing underutilized spaces in each school building. Central Square’s Superintendent, Thomas Colabufo, continues to support this change and is looking forward to gaining an enriched day-to-day connection with students and staff.
He said, “I am eager to get our district staff into the school buildings to further strengthen our community, while also aligning our fiscal responsibility. We are making moves to improve our instructional programming to support a 21st century model.”
The move is slated to be complete by early spring 2017.
Although the district is not at liberty to elaborate at this time, they have indicated that there are local parties that have expressed interest in the district office property and that they continue to look into possible opportunities for this space to be utilized.
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