New Lebanon School Committee Recommends Building Plan

The New Lebanon School building committee has recommended that a new facility be built on the school campus, utilizing woodlands and a ravine to the rear of the existing school.

With a 7-0-1 vote, the committee voted Wednesday to recommend that what is called Option 1 be brought before Board of Education and Board of Selectmen. None of the committee members voted in support of what is known as Scheme D — a new three-story building that would require relocation of students during construction, a plan endorsed by the selectmen and given municipal improvement status earlier this year.

Committee members said they supported Option 1 because students could remain in the current Mead Avenue building during construction, that the school’s International Baccalaureate program could incorporate the construction into the curriculum, and the design would create an educational campus in the heart of the Byram neighborhood.

New Lebanon parent and committee member Claire Kilgallen said that after considerable review of Scheme D, “I think it is too constricted and is impaired b y too many restrictions and layers.” She said Option 1 was more “child-centered.”

Before the committee vote, Peter Bernstein, the Board of Education’s representative on the building committee, said, “Option 1 looks forward, it takes advantage of the sites, it creates a campus. Educationally, it will work better. I love the layout and the use of the topography.”

Board of Estimate and Taxation member Bill Drake abstained from voting and declined to discuss his reason for doing so when asked by Selectman Drew Marzullo who is an ex-officio committee member.

After the meeting Drake refused to discuss his decision. “ No comment,” Drake said when asked about his vote. When pressed to explain his position as a public official serving on the committee, Drake replied, “No comment” and walked out the door of the board room at the Board of Education headquarters.

The Board of Education is expected to review the Option 1 plan at its meeting Thursday night and to seek Municipal Improvement status from the Board of Selectmen. In order to do so, the originally approved Scheme D plan will have to be withdrawn. Once the school board makes its request, then the selectmen will have to review the new plan before voting on Municipal Improvement approvals.

School committee chair Steve Walko said the plan will now form the basis of design of the building.

All of the plans under consideration have a building cost of $32.8 million to replace the school built in the 1950s.

Photo: The New Lebanon School Building Committee meeting Nov. 18.