TOWN OF AMSTERDAM -- Space shortages have the Greater Amsterdam School District evaluating whether to renew its lease with Fulmont Community Action Agency for Head Start at its school building on Truax Road when it expires in June.
"It's a difficult decision to consider not leasing that space to them, knowing the role they play, while at the same time reviewing the district needs for space and student support services that have greatly expanded since post-COVID," GASD Superintendent Richard Ruberti said Thursday.
The school district is considering allowing the lease for the Truax Road facility to expire in order to potentially reoccupy the building itself for pre-K classrooms. Fulmont and Head Start were notified in October that officials were weighing such a decision.
Marianne Suchocki, Fulmont's early childhood services director, associate deputy director and chief operating officer, said the Head Start program serving families in the Amsterdam area could be in jeopardy without an extension of the building lease.
"If in fact we are asked to vacate the building, it will shut down this program for the community," Suchocki said. "It would be devastating to this community, many of our families rely on us."
Head Start uses the entire Truax Road building, which it has occupied since the 1970s. The federally-funded program serves 108 preschool-aged children at the Amsterdam location with around 30 employees. Head Start programs offered by Fulmont across Fulton and Montgomery counties serve approximately 330 families.
The program predominantly serves low-income families to prepare kids for kindergarten. GASD actually contracts with Head Start to provide universal pre-K to three- and four-year-olds, supplementing the district's own program.
Head Start is a comprehensive program that goes beyond early childhood education, also identifying and addressing any special needs or developmental delays among children, Suchocki said.
Support is also available to parents to set goals or return to school themselves in order to improve their lives and that of their families. Family advocates can additionally provide assistance to families in crisis.
"I don't think that the district is being malicious in any way. They truly have a space issue and I sympathize with the decision that they have to make, but this program is an important piece to district residents, and without it, I think it would be an injustice to the district," Suchocki said.
The district recognizes the contribution of partner programs in the community such as Head Start and Whispering Pines Preschool, according to Ruberti, who said no decision on the lease has been made and officials are continuing to seek alternative solutions to the space shortages.
The problem largely relates to the need to provide space for the various support services, social workers, psychologists, intervention specialists, family advocates and other programs and staff added or expanded to serve students since the COVID pandemic.
"I don't foresee any of that going away anytime soon. It's an essential service that we provide, and it's only grown in need and importance," Ruberti said.
The district has already built at least one or two offices in the libraries of every elementary school building in order to provide space for these support services, but more space is needed.
Constructing additions onto existing buildings has already been ruled out because student enrollment in the district has remained relatively flat, making such work ineligible for state building aid.
Amsterdam officials have also considered leasing space in the city to potentially relocate the district offices, which moved into a wing of Amsterdam High School in 2014.
"The high school needs space as well," Ruberti said. "In the last couple of years, we've looked at office space and other space throughout the city, so space does exist."
Ruberti was unable to comment on past decisions to sell district buildings prior to his appointment in July 2020. The district sold the former Clara S. Bacon Elementary School to Whispering Pines for $224,000 in February 2020. The former Central Administration Building at 11 Liberty St. was sold for $55,000 to Cranesville Properties Inc. in 2016.
The superintendent went on to say the district has and would continue to try to support Head Start in identifying an alternative site should the lease on the Truax Road building lapse.
Yet, Suchocki said she has been unable to identify other facilities that would meet standards required by the Office of Head Start and the federal Administration for Children and Families.
"It's my job to make sure this program is provided to the community," Suchocki said. "Trying to locate an alternate place to house us has been extremely stressful."
If another site can be secured, covering that expense could be a challenge. Federal funding and grants cover 80% of program costs with the remainder coming from community donations. The building is leased to Fulmont as an in-kind donation by the district.
"Amsterdam has always provided this building to our agency as part of that community support, so no, our agency does not pay rent to use this building, but we provide a service to Amsterdam children," Suchocki said.
Furthermore, Suchocki said Head Start covers the cost of utilities and has maintained the building over the years, including making needed repairs by securing grants for projects. She estimated the agency has completed at least $550,000 in maintenance work on the building since the 1990s.
In summer 2022, Head Start expanded the parking lot, added outdoor lighting, installed two new playgrounds, repaired fencing and installed security at the Truax Road facility through an over-$100,000 project.
Meanwhile, Ruberti said a recent building condition survey recommended roughly $5 million in renovations at the facility involving electrical, HVAC, roofing and lighting work among other elements. The district would be unable to secure state aid for a project unless it was actively using the building itself.
For Head Start to secure federal funding for such substantial work, Suchocki indicated a lien would have to be placed on the building, which wouldn't be an option for the facility owned by the school district.
That issue previously caused concerns Head Start would be evicted after the district was forced to fund a roughly $103,000 roof repair project in April 2018. The agency wasn't able to secure grants to support that project. Ultimately, the district did not terminate the lease for the site.
Amsterdam school officials are likely to make a decision on the lease around January or February as the district works on its annual budget.
The cost to the district of reoccupying the building has not yet been determined. Existing pre-K teachers would relocate to the school, but additional support and building staff would need to be hired. There would also be utility and other expenses for the district to operate the facility.
If the lease is ultimately renewed, Ruberti indicated it would likely be for a shorter duration of around one or two years rather than previous 10-year agreements.
"It's not a decision we take lightly whatsoever. It's something we've been researching. We've been reaching out to partners. We've been looking at logistics and staffing needs and the impact," Ruberti said. "We're really taking our time with it and trying to make the best decision possible for our students, our staff and the community, as well."