Shenendehowa Futures Committee

The Board of Education charged the Futures Committee to monitor ongoing growth and the potential impact of that growth on the district. The purpose of this effort is to assist the Board in developing long-range plans.

The Committee worked with town officials from Clifton Park, Halfmoon and Malta, as well as representatives of other organizations knowledgeable about planned construction and economic growth in the area. Based on the information gathered, the committee concludes that:

Growth will continue within the Shenendehowa School District for the next 15 to 20 years and it will result in significant increases in the student population. The growth is not believed to be related to specific industries (i.e., the Luther Forest Technology Park) but more the result of the reputation of the school district and the central location of the community.

Recognizing that it takes five years from conception to completion of a new school, the Committee strongly recommends that the Board of Education take steps now to secure land to provide for future growth. The land needed would be 10 acres for an elementary school, 30 acres for a middle school and 40 acres for a high school. Securing 80 to 100 acres over the next couple of years would put the district in a position to be able to plan for the estimated growth.

Here is the complete presentation made to the Board of Education on April 11, 2006

Charge to the Committee

vTo monitor ongoing growth in the district and economic growth in the Capital District and Saratoga County areas.
vTo determine the potential impact of that growth on the district.
vTo inform the Board of Education of factors or issues to be considered in developing the long-range plan (Commitment to Excellence) and budgets in future years.

Committee Members:

Eric Anderson – Parent/Community Member
Peter Aust – Southern Saratoga Chamber of Commerce
Steven Bulger – Parent and Chairman of the C.P. Planning Board
Jill Bush – Principal of Gowana Middle School
William Casey – Vice President of the Board of Education
Gary DiLallo – President of the Board of Education
Michael Dutkowsky – Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources
Mary Ellen Egan-Boyajian – Parent/Community Member
Rocky Ferraro – Community Member and Executive Director of the Capital District Regional Planning Commission
Charles Huff – Member of the Board of Education
Richard Lee – Executive Assistant to the Supervisor of Halfmoon
Susan Martin – Chief Financial Officer (Committee Co-chair)
Melissa Richburg – Parent/Community Member (Committee Co-chair)
Dr. L. Oliver Robinson – Superintendent of Schools
John Zepko – Planner in Town of Malta

Presenters

Rocky Ferraro, Executive Director of the Capital District Regional Planning Commission
How the population and enrollment projections are determined, historical and projected population growth as well as forecasts of economic development and stability factors.
Dennis Brobston, former Vice President of the Saratoga Economic Development Corporation (SEDC)
The development of Luther Forest Technology Campus, including anticipated timelines and local impact.
Jason Kemper, Director of Planning for the Town of Clifton Park
Growth in the town as well as current trends in economic development.
Jeff Williams, Planner and Steve Watts, Building Development Administrator for the Town of Halfmoon.
Growth in the town as well as forecasted impact on Shenendehowa.
Heather Mallozzi, Planner for the Town of Malta
The master plan and potential impact on Shenendehowa.
Dean Taylor, Commercial Realtor
Undeveloped land in the district and the potential build out of those properties.

Growth Trends

vThis area is one of the fastest growing communities in the Capital Region. Continued growth is expected for the next 15 years.
vBetween 2000 and 2010, the growth rate in the Capital District is projected to be 4.0%.
vHowever, Clifton Park is projected to grow by 10.3% and Halfmoon by 19.2% during the same period.
vShenendehowa Central School District has been and will continue to be attractive as a result of its academic reputation and central location.
vBased on the 2000 census, the number of children per household for homes built between 1995-2000 in southern and central Saratoga County ages 5-18 is 0.73 for single-family homes, 0.89 for duplex/townhouses, 0.24 for apartments and 0.21 for mobile homes.

Luther Forest Technology Park

vThe site consists of 1,350 acres.
vLuther Forest has the capacity for four chip fab plants.
vThe first company to sign a lease to build a chip plant will have the option of first refusal on the other three sites.
vThe useful life of a chip plant is generally 10 years.
vWhen done with the second plant, it will retool the first plant for reuse.
vApproximately 85-90% of the 2,000 workers needed for the first chip fab plant will come from the area.

Future Development Potential-

Town of Clifton Park

v1,250 units in the area east of Vischer Ferry Road (eastern part of Clifton Park) at full build out.
v75% of the land in the western part of Clifton Park is open space or farmland.
v2,500 units in western part of town at full build out (of which 1,250 will be in the Shenendehowa School District).
vTurnover of existing single-family homes (empty nesters make up approximately 30% of Clifton Park’s population).

Town of Halfmoon

vElements critical for growth.
§Environmental considerations: generally favorable.
§Availability of water and sewer lines: yes.
§Favorable government policies: yes.
§Market demand: yes.
vThere are 8,055 parcels of 10 or more acres in Halfmoon. Approximately 5,000-6,000 new housing units could be built within Shenendehowa’s boundaries.
v1,700 housing units have been approved or are under review by the planning board.

Town of Malta

vUpwards of 300 new units under construction or proposed.
vPhysical and regulatory constraints exist.
vLimited future development expected.

Towns of Ballston, Waterford, Stillwater

vThese towns combined make up 2% of assessed value of the district.
vBallston has the potential for 400 units; however, there are infrastructure constraints.

Findings

vThe Luther Forest Technology Campus in Malta is unlikely to be a major factor in the growth of the district for the next 5-10 years.
vThe most significant growth of residential housing during the next 15 years in Shenendehowa Central Schools will be in the eastern part of the school district (Halfmoon).
vDistrict-wide the potential impact of new construction is as follows:
§Looking at currently approved plans, a total of 1,200 school-age children (5-18 years of age) could result in the short-term (5-7 years).
§Looking at potential build out of all developable land, a total of 5,000 school-age children could result in the long-term (beyond 7 years).
vThe impact of resale of existing homes by empty nesters to young families could be very significant.
vThe area will continue to be an attractive place in which to live because of the district’s reputation and the central location.

Recommendations

vNeed to investigate securing land now to address both short-term and long-term needs.
- §Elementary, 10 acres needed
  
  §Middle school, 30 acres needed
  
  §High school, 40 acres needed.
§Concept of building to actual construction spans 5 years.
vFactors to consider
- §Location of new construction, environmental impact.
  
  §Attendance redistricting/boundary need (i.e., school assignment).
  
  §Transportation efficiency (i.e., length of bus routes).
  
  §Disruption of existing programs and initiatives.
  
  §Operation cost implications (i.e., staffing, budget).
  
  §Program offerings (i.e., courses, curriculum).
vFutures Committee remain a permanent standing committee.