Kristin Scott recently stopped in the spiffy, new Gordon Creek Elementary School to prepare her kindergarten classroom for next week’s first day of school.
The Ballston Spa teacher sat down and marveled at the room’s fresh paint, shelving and storage space. The enclosed classroom, unlike her previous one, came with four brick walls, a bathroom with sink, water fountain and cubbies. It marked a big step up from the 42-year-old Milton Terrace South Elementary, where Scott taught in an open space with partitions and could often hear lessons taught by the teacher next door.
“I’m very excited,” said Scott, a 15-year veteran. “It’s going to be a little bit of an adjustment.”
Named after Revolutionary War leader and Ballston Supervisor James Gordon, the 81,500-square-foot elementary school cost $23.6 million – the biggest item in a $49.3 million cart of district renovations that voters approved in 2010. The district built its first new school in 15 years because it would have been more expensive to remodel Milton Terrace South Elementary School, Superintendent Joseph Dragone said. The old school is located next to the new one, and will be torn down to make room for a bus loop and parking.
Gordon Creek is located on Wood Road off Route 67. Its gleaming new hallways offer a chance for Ballston Spa schools to showcase its intensified focus on technology in education. The district serves 4,400 students and parts of Malta, which is home to the GlobalFoundries computer chip plant. The district saw a five percent spike in enrollment two years ago caused by a spike in new homes and condominiums.
The construction of GlobalFoundries has changed the district, which this year, expects to receive an $8 million payment-in-lieu-of-taxes from the company. This week, it announced it was one of 16 school districts statewide to receive a state grant to expand programs dedicated to clean technologies and sustainable industries. Two years ago, the district received $20,000 from GlobalFoundries to develop a new International Baccalaureate (IB) degree program that is favored by students from abroad.
“School districts are an important part of economic development,” Dragone said.
Technology in Gordon Creek Elementary School is ubiquitous, Dragone said during a recent walk through. The facility’s data/media center contains dozens of sleek, black computers and matching chairs. The space, like others in the school, is made with glass, which allows students transparent views. Light bounced off the school’s floors and windows, and visitors could smell the scents of fresh construction.
Classrooms at Gordon Creek are equipped with wireless Internet access, electronic whiteboards, motion sensors and laptop and desktop computers. There are dedicated classrooms for students with severe medical disabilities, a full gym, a stage with lighting and sound and more.
The district started renovations at Milton Terrace North Elementary School, and will make improvements to its remaining elementary schools and middle school over the next three years.
But it’s the new Gordon Creek Elementary School that’s on the minds of administrators and parents in this small Saratoga County village. The new school opens Friday to 570 students who attended Milton Terrace South Elementary School. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for 4 p.m. Wednesday.
“It’s just an amazing building; functional, fully-equipped,” Principal Jeffrey Palmer said. “There is no excuse now. We have everything we want.”