On Tuesday, Oct. 8, the Guilderland Central School District Board of Education held a special meeting to hear the research, findings and recommendations of the five subcommittees of the Future Ready Task Force.
Dr. Marie Wiles, Superintendent of Schools, began the presentation by summarizing the creation of the Future Ready Task Force (FRTF) in early 2024. Composed of approximately 50 stakeholders, including students, parents, staff from all GCSD employee groups, district and building administrators, board of education members and community members, the FRTF explored what it means for GCSD students to be future ready and developed a shared vision for future ready facilities.
The purpose of the Future Read Task Force
The task force’s purpose was to review best practices around teaching and learning and gather input from the school community to recommend priorities that will ensure GCSD graduates are prepared for their future after graduation. To answer the question of “what does it mean to be future ready?,” the FRTF focused on K-12 educational programming priorities and then considered what the facilities would need to look like to support that educational programming.
Subcommittees Explored Aspects of a Future Ready Education
Five subcommittees were formed to explore different elements of the future ready question: Elementary Programs, STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, math), Humanities, Performing Arts and Gathering Spaces. The subcommittees and the larger committee, as a whole, met virtually and in-person, conducted research and engaged the community to prepare their presentations.
Proposed Timeline of Work
The five subcommittees worked towards the following timeline:
- December 2023: Get feedback on plan and begin recruiting task force members
- January 2024: Members appointed by BOE and Organizational meeting of task force
- February-May 2024: Meeting of large group and subgroups to research, plan, discuss ideas
- March-May 2024: Community engagement, field trips to neighboring districts, etc.
- June-July 2024: Draft preliminary recommendations to Facilities Committee/BOE; fine-tune over summer as needed
- June-July 2024: Recruit stakeholders to serve on District Facilities Committee
- September: Board formally appoints members of District Facilities Committee
- October 2024: Share recommendations with Facilities Committee and BOE
- October 2024- January 2025: Facilities Committee meets with Architects to review and discuss recommendations of FRTF and other relevant considerations (zero emissions bus requirements, building condition survey, district’s debt schedule, etc.)
- February: Facilities Committee recommends to BOE size and scope of capital project
Elementary Programs Subcommittee
Dr. Allan Lockwood, Guilderland Elementary School Principal and Co-Chair of the Elementary Programs Subcommittee, presented the findings of the subcommittee. Dr. Lockwood began his presentation by sharing the essential questions that the subcommittee used to shape their work:
What should future ready classrooms look like?
What changes/improvements should we make to our buildings to support students and staff members into the future?
Research
As part of its research, the subcommittee reviewed the Trauma-informed Design Evaluation Tool for K-12 Schools and toured all of the elementary schools in the district.
They utilized a trauma-informed design rubric as a lens to view the elementary school buildings. That rubric views schools through domains, which can include safety, accessibility, connection to nature, inclusion, visibility, comfort, aesthetics, community and culture.
The subcommittee observed that the five elementary school buildings of the district, while each is unique, have similarities, including secure doors, good camera coverage, clear hallways with good signage, good views of nature, opportunities for outdoor/indoor play, artwork on display, representation of cultures and student work on display. After taking these tours, the subcommittee met with a representative from CS Arch, the engineering and architecture firm the district has worked with in the past.
Additionally, the group launched a ThoughtExchange to engage the school community and reviewed that data at their final meeting. The responses indicated a strong desire for updated, safe, clean and aesthetically pleasing facilities. An emphasis was placed on good temperature control, lighting and functional furniture as well as areas that promote a sense of community.
Recommendations
Utilizing what they discovered in their research, the Elementary Programs Subcommittee made the following recommendations (in order of importance):
- Creation of space for collaboration (Student and staff)
- Updated classroom furniture that provides seating options for students and can be reorganized for a variety of learning activities
- Updated and improved classroom lighting that can be changed to meet the activity
- Space for sensory and social emotional learning activities to meet the needs of a variety of students
- Use of color in hallways and classrooms to provide a warmer environment/wayfinding
- Increased storage in classrooms
- Updated bathrooms for students and staff members that provide better privacy
- Improved lighting in parking lots
STEAM and Careers Subcommittee
Mr. Mike Piscitelli, Guilderland High School Principal and Co-Chair of the STEAM and Careers Subcommittee, presented the findings of the subcommittee. The subcommittee developed the following essential questions that shaped their work:
- Where does CTE live and how do we open up more opportunities for students interested in the trades (CTE refers to Career and Technical education programs through BOCES and in-house programs through Technology, Business and FACS)?
- How do we give students more hands on experience in STEAM classrooms and connect those skills to real world jobs?
- What will effective instruction in the STEAM classroom look like in the future
- How do we transform STEAM instructional spaces?
Research
The group toured spaces within the district that had recently undergone renovations, including the newly remodeled GHS science classrooms, to see how flexibility in the design has improved instruction. The subcommittee reviewed photos of innovative instructional spaces in the middle and high school and reviewed community college offerings to get a sense of the areas where resources are being invested. Finally the subcommittee considered documentation on trends and employment, discussed specific instructional approaches, such as problem-based learning and project-based instructional approaches, as well as reviewed the work of thought leaders such as Daniel Pink, Stephen Pinker and Simon Sinek.
Recommendations
The STEAM and Careers Subcommittee made recommendations that were grouped into three areas:
Instructional
- A mandatory Career and Money Skills class at GHS or FMS.
- Professional Development on Problem-Based Learning or Project-Based Learning instructional practices.
- Cross Department Courses, such a technology course that is taught with a science teacher.
- Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Applications
Authentic Learning Experiences
- Partnerships with outside organizations for field experiences.
- Virtual reality applications.
- Student field experiences in-house performing school functions like the student help desk (Maintenance experiences).
- Courses focused on a career so students can explore interest areas.
- In-House CTE programs – look into expanding Technology Department classroom space to allow more opportunities for growth.
Re-configuring Learning Spaces
- Flexible Seating (types of seating, ability to group differently, comfort level)
- Rooms that can change purpose quickly (furniture with multiple purposes? Ie. chairs that can create a flat workspace)
- Writing Spaces (for example – on cabinet surfaces)
- Vertical workspaces (windows/whiteboards)
- Building Spaces:
- Discussion Spaces/Small group work areas
- Project rooms
- Hallway discussion areas
Humanities Subcommittee
Dr. Marie Wiles presented the findings of the Humanities Subcommittee and began her presentation by sharing the essential questions that the subcommittee used to shape their work:
- What does forward thinking instruction look like in the humanities?
- What should classrooms that support forward thinking instruction in the humanities look like?
Research
The Humanities Subcommittee reviewed the results from a April 2024 ThoughtExchange, which provided the group with input from faculty and staff about what their ideal teaching space would look like. Familiar themes from emerged, including aesthetically pleasing, spacious, well-lit, comfortable classrooms with flexible seating options and modern, functional furniture. There was a strong emphasis on cleanliness and comfort, up-to-date technology and resources as well as access to the outdoors and spaces that are conducive to collaboration-based learning.
Additionally, the group toured the instructional spaces at Farnsworth Middle School and Guilderland High School. Branching out from the humanities, the subcommittee visited the recently remodeled science classrooms at GHS to get a sense of the flexibility those classrooms offer. They compared those spaces with traditional classrooms as well as to traditional classrooms where teachers were creative in reorganizing and rearranging to create more flexible spaces. The group also visited the GHS outdoor pavilion to view the flexible furniture, which can be easily moved, and the Promethium board on wheels. Dr. Wiles believes the feeling of the outdoor pavilion is what the district is striving for in all classrooms.
Like the other subcommittees, the group had discussions with a representative from CS Arch and read two texts, “The Age of Opportunity” by Laurence Steinberg and “The Anxious Generation” by Jonathan Haidt. These texts provided the group with an understanding of adolescence as a remarkable period of “brain reorganization” and the impact of technology on childhood development.
The principles which guided the Humanities Subcommittee in developing recommendations are:
- Balance technology with face-to-face interaction and collaboration
- Flexible space (large and small spaces to be used to support different learning objectives)
- Flexible furniture for easy movement and reconfiguration
- Declutter space so that it is stimulating/engaging
- Safety and security balanced with a welcoming environment (not a fortress)
Recommendations
The Humanities Subcommittee made recommendations with two timelines and a focus on their recommendations was to create a balance of warm and welcoming environments where people feel safe.
Recommendations for May 2025
- Transforming all humanities classrooms in the district will take time and resources
- Select “X” number of classrooms at FMS and “X” number of classrooms at GHS and upgrade:
- Furniture
- Storage
- Lighting
- Window treatments
- Technology access
Recommendations for the future
- Furniture that allows for flexible instructional approaches
- Flexible instructional spaces to include large and small group settings
- Storage to reduce clutter
- Lighting upgrades, including window treatments
- Equitable access to technology (charging, presenting, etc.)
- Learning spaces that utilize aspects of nature and/or the outdoors
Performing Arts Subcommittee
Mr. Robert Winans, Instructional Administrator for Music, and Mr. John Fatuzzo, FMS and GHS Music Teacher, presented the findings of the Performing Arts Subcommittee and began their presentation by sharing the essential questions that the subcommittee used to shape their work:
- What do Performing Arts students need in order to be future ready?
- Access to educational technology in their music classrooms.
- Accessible, flexible spaces for individual and collaborative practice/rehearsal.
- Facilities that support and enhance a student’s music education.
- What are the challenges the performing arts currently face in the Guilderland CSD?
- Outdated or non-existent access to basic and music-specific technology in learning spaces.
- Limited or nonexistent rehearsal/lesson/practice spaces
- Teaching and learning spaces that are not conducive to the best music-learning atmosphere.
In considering these essential questions and the current needs of students, the Performing Arts Subcommittee was lead to a new essential question:
- How do our current facilities support the music program?
In reviewing the different levels of performing arts, which spans grades K-12, the committee discovered that there are more similarities than differences between the needs at all three levels – elementary, middle and high school.
Issues faced at the elementary level:
- Ensembles currently meet outside of the school day
- Absence of dedicated performance spaces
- Currently performing in cafeteria/gym with inadequate sound, lighting, acoustics.
- Some buildings need to have performances at FMS or GHS due to inadequate audience capacity.
- Classrooms not large enough for ensemble rehearsals
- Inequitable access to technology
- Lack of storage for instruments
- Outdated equipment
Issues faced at the middle school level:
- Lack of sufficient instructional space
- Instrumental rehearsal and lesson spaces too small to fit ensembles and lesson groups.
- Absence of a dedicated performance space
- Hosting concerts in Cafetorium is impactful to faculty, students, and custodial staff. Poor lighting, sound, acoustics.
- Inherent problems with rehearsal rooms
- Choir rehearsal room is poorly designed for its multiple purposes.
- HVAC unit in band room is noisy (teachers need an amplification system to have rehearsal)
- Significant sound bleed between all classrooms.
- Lack of storage for both music & theater
- Lack of adequate restroom facilities near cafetorium
Issues faced at the high school level:
- Absence of dedicated teaching spaces for curricular and extracurricular programs resulting in the need to share space between programs.
- Insufficient storage space for theater and music.
- Limited access to practice rooms.
- Auditorium is inadequate as both a concert and theatrical venue. It is poorly designed, has outdated technology, and an insufficient seating capacity.
- Infrastructural issues with existing rehearsal rooms (class capacity, sound bleed, accessibility, etc.)
Research
- Surveys of Stakeholders
- Performing arts faculty (music & theater)
- High school music students
- High school theater students
- Site Visits
- Bethlehem High School
- Voorheesville High School
- Columbia High School
- Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake High School
- Ithaca High School
- Discussions with Melissa Renkawitz
- Principal, Senior Building Designer, Educational Planner – CSArch
- Wenger Planning Guide for School Music Facilities
- A new construction and renovation resource for music educators, facility planners, administrators, and architects
The Performing Art Subcommittee also provided a comparison of the current state of the primary performance space in the district, which is located at GHS, and what is needed.
Current state of GHS performance space:
- Two rehearsal rooms for 3 curricular programs
- Poor acoustics due to low ceilings, room size/configuration, HVAC, etc.
- Practice rooms inside choir room, not usable for instrumentalists
- Choir room houses spillover instrument storage
- Orchestra room houses band instrument storage, inadequate technology
- Band shares stage with theater program
- Office space needed for storage and lessons
- Auditorium acts as band classroom, theater classroom, lesson space,
concert space, theater performance space, presentation space - No classroom technology
- Outdated lighting and sound equipment
- Poorly designed for both music and theater performance
- Insufficient fly space, line sets, and wing space, which is often cramped with music and theater equipment creating safety hazards
- Insufficient seating for the size of our district (just over 600 seats)
What is needed:
- Three rehearsal spaces with proper acoustics (high ceilings, acoustic panels)
- Instrument storage
- Large sink in Band room
- Music library space
- Instrument repair space
- Furniture designed for musicians
- Outside entrances
- Access to technology including audio recording/playback
- Water bottle filling station in choir room
- Additional teaching space: used for a Modern Band course, and Jazz/ Stage Band which require different equipment and sound reinforcement, MIOL, Music Tech, AP Music Theory
- Individual & large group lesson/practice rooms w/ white boards and acoustic panels/soundproofing
- Office space for teachers and the Instructional Administrator for music
- Increased audience capacity
- Large, reconfigured stage–good for both theater productions and concerts
- Safe, easily accessible catwalk for lighting
- Designed for optimal acoustics
- Increased fly space and number of line sets
- Increased wing space
- State of the art sound reinforcement, audio and visual recording capabilities, streaming, and lighting technology
- Sound shells & cloud for optimal concert acoustics
- Pit that can be raised or lowered through use of platforms
- Scene shop
- Better, safer, more educationally sound environment for building
- Alleviates stage usage
- Needs loading dock, storage for tools, sets, and lumber, proper tools for set construction
- Connected to the stage
Additional spaces in other schools:
- Black box theater/flex space
- Perfect for theater classes, smaller plays, student-run productions
- Fully equipped for sound and lighting
- Dance studio
- Sprung floor
- Mirrors and barres
- Sound system
- Access to technology
- Multi-use space: dance classes, theater dance and blocking rehearsals, PT, various extracurricular dance, yoga, exercise clubs
Additional spaces in other schools:
- Dressing rooms
- Costume shop/storage
- Equipped w/ fitting room, costume storage, sewing machines, steamer, washer/dryer
- Lobby areas with monitors, display cases, seating for guests.
- Large bathrooms to accommodate guests of concerts/ theater productions
Recommendations
- Overhaul of GHS music suite
- Addition of band room
- Large sink
- Practice rooms
- Multiple lesson spaces within room
- Enlarge and renovate orchestra room
- Enlarge and renovate choral room
- Create an Additional Classroom/Rehearsal Space
- To be used for Modern Band, Jazz/ Stage Band, Tech Lab, Music Theory, Lessons
- Office Spaces and Common Planning/Meeting Space
- Storage for choral risers, chair/stand racks, percussion instruments, and pianos
- Addition of band room
- GHS Auditorium Overhaul
- Increase seating capacity
- LED lights
- Updated sound reinforcement including body mics for shows
- Audio/Visual recording and live-stream capabilities
- Reconfiguration of stage
- Acoustic sound shells and cloud
- Handicap accessibility
- Easy-to-use controls for meetings/presentations and outside groups
- Improve acoustics
- Addition of Scene shop/ Theater Storage at GHS
- Alleviates auditorium usage for other school events/activities
- Storage for lumber/building materials, sets, tools
Beyond 2025: Future Recommendations
- Elementary
- Improve performance spaces
- Enlarged capacity
- Improved lighting & sound reinforcement
- Improved acoustics
- Enlarge ensemble rehearsal spaces
- Provide equitable access to technology
- Increase storage capacity
- Improve performance spaces
- Middle School
- Enlarge band & orchestra classrooms
- Enlarge lesson spaces
- Improve acoustics
- Increase storage capacity
- Overhaul of existing performance space (cafetorium)
- Updated sound reinforcement & lighting capabilities
- Audio/Visual recording & live-stream capabilities
- Handicap accessibility
- Easy-to-use controls for meetings/presentations and outside groups
- Improve acoustics
- Addition of large restrooms near cafetorium
- High School
- Expand theater facilities
- Dance studio
- Black Box theater
- Costume production shop
- Dressing rooms
- Expand theater facilities
Gathering Spaces Subcommittee
Mr. Steve Wolf, Altamont Elementary School Principal, presented the findings of the Gathering Space Subcommittee and began their presentation by sharing the guiding concepts that the subcommittee used to shape their work:
- What is going to provide our spaces with the most flexibility and versatility
- What materials will help keep a lasting impact/usability/durability/sustainability?
- What furniture is appropriate for these spaces?
- What colors/visual aesthetics will be best in common areas?
- How can we be sure there is sufficient power located in each space?
Research
Like the other subcommittees, the Gathering Spaces subcommittee reviewed a variety of spaces, including those in colleges and airports, with a focus on what will provide the most flexibility and versatility going forward and what materials will be durable and sustainable while also being warm and inviting.
They also conducted a ThoughtExchange, which yielded similar results to ThoughtExchanges conducted by the other subcommittees: the need for clean, updated and welcoming learning spaces.
The group also provided their research regarding areas within a school building, including:
Cafeterias and Kitchen Facilities
- Lobbies
- Libraries and Large Group Spaces
- Other Common Spaces
- Hallways – Lighting, Digital Signage (display boards, menus, where did the food come from), Signage outside the door of each class so you can stand at the end of the hall so that you can look down the hall and see who and what classes are in each hall, Digital Logo Projector
- Lockers – Consistency in looks, locks, matching format
- Gardens/Courtyards/Outdoor Classrooms
- Other Ideas
- Signage
- Artificial Intelligence
- Environmental Impact – Biophilic Design
Recommendations
- Short Term
- Integration of Natural Light
- Flexible Seating and Space Configuration
- Easily Accessible AV Tech
- Signage – Digital and Traditional
- Long Term
- Incorporation of AI for public facilities
- Wireless Charging
- Multiple Charging stations
- Possible Outdoor connections, particularly for lunch and meals
Next Steps
The Facilities Committee will consider the work and recommendations of the Future Ready Task Force when compiling a report to address short- and long-term improvements to GCSD facilities. These recommendations will be presented to the Board of Education in Feb. 2025, with the objective of a referendum going to Guilderland voters in May 2025.
View the Future Ready Task Force presentations at the Oct. 8 special board meeting.