Facilities

Welcome

The Facilities Department and its staff are responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the district’s school and office buildings, as well as its acres of grounds and athletic fields. Its mission is to keep the buildings safe and conducive to learning while protecting the public’s investment in its facilities. In addition to preventive maintenance and housekeeping, the department is also responsible for long-range planning, budget development and implementation, capital improvements, environmental regulation compliance, health and safety code compliance, New York State Education Department facility code compliance, employee training and risk assessment, and public use of buildings and grounds.

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Facilities Use

The school buildings and grounds are maintained for the education and recreation of school children and for the benefit of the community. All uses of school buildings and grounds shall be consistent with Section 414 of the Education Law.

Public use of school facilities may take place during and after school hours only if, in the opinion of the Building Principal or Director of Physical Education the use will not be disruptive to normal school operations. The determination of the Building Principal or Director of Physical Education in this regard may be appealed to the Superintendent of Schools.

The Board authorizes the use of school facilities, both indoor and outdoor. The Board maintains sole and unreviewable discretion to schedule facilities and delegates this authority to the Superintendent of Schools for items a) through c) with d) and e) being approved by the Board of Education. The following priority order will be used as needed if conflict arises in scheduling use.

1. For District use;
2. For Town or local programs with only students from Schoharie Central School;
3. For Town programs within Schoharie Central School which may include students from other districts, and then
4. For other community use;
5. Non-District requests.

(For items b) and c) a roster of participants must be provided.)

The complete Board Policy #3280 PUBLIC USE OF SCHOOL FACILITIES AND GROUNDS can be found on our BoardDocs website.

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Testing For Lead

In 2016, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo signed landmark legislation (S.8158/A.10740) mandating that schools across the state test drinking water for lead contamination. Lead is a toxic material that is extremely harmful to young children and can result in lowered IQ, behavioral problems and brain damage. The state Department of Health also issued emergency regulations pursuant to the new legislation, requiring that school districts test their water for lead contamination regularly and report results to parents, the state Department of Health and local government officials.

View May 2021 water test results. All test results were within acceptable limits.

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Pesticide Notification

The district’s Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Coordinator or designated pesticide representative will give prior written notice of all pesticide applications to anyone who has asked to receive such notice. The district will also notify parents, students and staff of periodic pesticide applications. The district will maintain a list of those people who wish to receive forty-eight (48) hour notice before pesticide applications and will ensure that a system is developed to deliver such notice in a timely fashion to all affected. The notification system may be by mail or email, and will ensure that a back-up method is available to notify those for whom the regular system is unworkable. The name and contact information for the district pesticide representative will be made available to all requesting it.

Learn more about pesticide notification on the NY State Education Department website.

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Asbestos Notification

In accordance with the EPA Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act of 1987 (40 CFR Part 763), the Schoharie Central School District put in place a management plan to identify and manage asbestos building materials. Periodic surveillances are done every six months. In addition, abatement projects have been conducted in conjunction with the building construction. Specific notifications are posted in the buildings where projects are done prior to the start of the abatement work.

The Asbestos Management Plan for the district is kept on file at the District Office. These records are available for review during regular business hours or by making a special appointment. For more information, contact the Facilities Department at (518) 295-6689.

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