MIDDLEBURGH - There are no students taking classes at the two Middleburgh schools, but that does not mean that it has not been a very busy summer in the district.
Construction workers have been busy working on projects at the bus garage, elementary and high schools. Most of the work will be done before students return next month, though some projects will last into the beginning of the 2026-27 school year, according to MCS Superintendent Mark Place.
The work on the $8.1 million project at the bus garage and the schools began at the end of June.
The project includes a new playground, and major upgrades in the bus garage, and elementary and high school.
Superintendent Place gave a tour and detailed the work Monday morning.
Elementary School
Much needed new gym bleachers were installed on August 6, Mr. Place said. The new bleachers should be able to accommodate the entire student body. The first test for the bleachers will be the staff meeting on the first day of school.
The bleachers do not take up any additional space though they come out a little further onto the gym floor when fully engaged, Mr. Place noted. The bleachers have four more rows than the old ones.
The elementary school bleacher replacement was done by Nickerson Corporation of Bay Shore, New York, at a cost of $124,500.
The new playground behind the school is done except for the drainage and a base.
Mr. Place said 220 footings were put in for the new playground, which was built on the site of the former Little League field. The footings were all placed below the frost line.
On Monday morning, workers were putting in the subbase, basically crushed stone, and then will be pouring in the final base of rubberized materials.
Mr. Place noted that the playground looks exactly like the rendering that was shown last year.
The playground will include a zipline, an ADA-approved merry-go-round. a climbing wall, and many more stations, Mr. Place noted.
An ADA-approved sidewalk will lead from the fourth, fifth, and sixth grade wing to the playground, which will be for first through sixth graders.
The playground equipment was installed by Playcore Wisconsin of Fort Payne, Alabama at a cost of $726,000.
No decision has been made on the Maze Craze playground built in October 1989, Mr. Place said.
After the new playground is ready for children, hopefully by the beginning of school, depending on weather, the fate of the Maze Craze will be left to a community group.
Mr. Place noted that the after-school program could not use the Maze because of "line of sight" issues. There is no such problem at the new playground.
The school-based center is much expanded at the elementary school.
The center was expanded into a former classroom. The center, Mr. Place said, will include bathrooms, a dental office that had been in the nurse's office, an exam room, a reception area, and a mental health room. The new space, which is two and a half rooms, now "mimics" the rooms in the high school, the Superintendent said.
It is hoped that the school-based health center and the playground will be ready for the elementary school open house on September 17, Mr. Place said.
High School
Four new student bathrooms and two new staff bathrooms are being installed in the cafeteria, Mr. Place said.
The two bathrooms in the cafeteria were not ADA accessible, he noted. The former bathrooms have been converted to a janitor's closet. The former overly large staff bathrooms and the former janitor's closet will be replaced by four, single stall, gender neutral bathrooms. It is a much better use of space, Mr. Place noted.
The bathrooms will not be done by the beginning of school, though meals will be served in the cafeteria, Mr. Place said.
The bathrooms will likely be done by November and a temporary wall will be built between the cafeteria and the future bathrooms.
The auditorium will not be done for the beginning of school, Mr. Place said.
The balcony is being renovated with new seats that will look like the seats on the lower level, just more modern.
A big upgrade is the new lighting and sound systems for the stage. The current systems are about 40 years old. The replacement of the lights were in the original project and the sound system upgrade are to be approved by school board members this week, Mr. Place said.
The doors to the auditorium on the first and second floors are being worked on to be quieted when being closed, the Superintendent said.
The work in the auditorium will be done in "November at the earliest" and possible by early December, according to Mr. Place. The fall play has been moved to next spring.
On the front of the high school, the huge white columns are being refurbished.
Scaffolding was being put in place Monday morning. The original plan was to replace the columns but when the outside wood was removed, it was found that the inside beam, which is more than 95 years old, was in good condition, he said.
After lead paint abatement, which will take 10 days, the columns will be striped and soft spots will be replaced before being repainted,
The work should be done by the start of school, Mr. Place said.
He noted that the top and bottom of the columns are metal.
Other outside work will include an ADA accessible sidewalk to the Clauverwie Road side of the school. The new sidewalk follows the slope of the lawn,
Mr. Place said that people in wheelchairs can now come to the front of the school and take the sidewalks into school. Before, they had to be dropped off in the back of the school and take the elevator up to the first floor.
Some windows in the auditorium are also being replaced because of asbestos issues.
On Monday, workers were painting repairs to 14 support columns in the gym. That work will be done before school starts.
Bus Garage
Major upgrades are being done at the 25-year-old school bus garage on upper Main Street.
Two bus lifts are being replaced. On Monday, the rebar and concrete are being put in the first light and, after a month to cure, the electrical systems will be installed. This lift should be done by the end of September and the other should be done by the beginning of November. A temporary lift is being used in the garage.
Mr. Place noted that the lifts needed to be replaced and whether the new ones will be stronger for the heavier electric buses, which could be required in the future, Mr. Place said.
The side of the bus garage area was paved and the back was repaved. New drainage was also installed to prevent drains from being clogged. New electricity is being installed in case the electric bus mandate occurs, Mr. Place noted.
With the work, all buses will be able to be parked by the center island in the rear of the garage.
The work is a significant improvement in terms of draining and for plowing, he added.
Six dying pine trees at the front of the bus garage were also removed.
The bus lift replacement in the bus garage is being done by Stertli-Koni USA of Stevensville, Maryland at a cost of $401,500.
The project was approved by the New York State Education Department in January and in March, school board members approved nearly $6 million in bids for the project. The bids came in within budget and there was a lot of interest in the project, Mr. Place said.
The $8.1 million project was approved by voters last year.
The project will utilize state aid and $2 million from the district's Capital Reserve Fund to pay for over a dozen facilities repairs and improvements. There is no additional tax impact.
Repairs and enhancements included in the capital project are focused on resolving current facility repair needs, preparing infrastructure for future needs, improving safety for students and staff, and supporting community services in the buildings.
