Facilities

Located in Albany County, NY, the North Colonie Central School District is proud to provide state-of-the-art facilities and buildings that foster a safe, inclusive and conducive environment for teaching and learning. Our commitment to excellence in education extends beyond the classroom, as we strive to maintain and enhance our facilities to support the evolving needs of our students, staff, and community.

Facilities Use Information | Idling School Buses on School Grounds Policy | Integrated Pest Management Information | Lead Testing Results | Pesticide and Asbestos Notifications

Facilities Use Information

The North Colonie Central School District buildings and grounds are maintained primarily for the purpose of educating students within the district. However, the District recognizes that the buildings and grounds are a valuable community resource and believes they should be available to the community for specific uses that will not interfere with educational activities.

View North Colonie CSD Policies on Facilities Use:

1500, Use of School Facilities, 1/23/12
1500-R, Use of School Facilities Regulations, 1/23/12
1500-E-2, Schedule of Charges for Use of School Facilities, 1/23/12

If you would like to request use of school property or facilities, please utilize the Revocable License Form for Use of School Facilities and contact the Business Office with any questions.

Idling School Buses on School Grounds Policy

State law requires school districts to take steps to minimize the idling of the engines of school buses and other school vehicles on school grounds. While students are boarding and departing school buses, the engine should be turned off. Students should be instructed about the importance of getting on and off buses in an orderly and efficient fashion to minimize loading and offloading time. Bus engines should also be off while parked at sporting events and other school activities. Exceptions to this “no idling” policy can be made in cases of emergency, mechanical issues or for necessary heating.

View the district’s idling school bus policy.

Lead Testing Results

Since September 2016, the district has been involved in water quality testing for all North Colonie school buildings in accordance with legislation that was signed into law in the same year. The law requires all New York State public schools to test all sources of potable water for lead contamination.

2022 Revisions to Public Health Law (PHL) Revisions to PHL §1110 were finalized on March 4, 2022, with an effective date of December 22, 2022. The key revisions to the law include:

1. Lead action level in drinking water has been reduced from 15 parts per billion (ppb) to 5 ppb.

2. School buildings previously deemed “lead-free” are no longer exempt from testing requirements. All buildings, to which PHL §1110 applies, that house or provide instructional services to students are required to test for lead in drinking water.

3. Should it be necessary to provide potable water to school occupants following an outlet being taken out of service due to an action level exceedance, the potable water must be provided free of charge.

4. Copies of lead results including lab reports and any lead remediation plans must be made available to the public and posted on the school’s website.

5. Compliance testing will occur on a triennial (every 3 years) schedule. The first compliance testing period is 2023-2025 under the revised PHL. Schools must conduct first-draw tap testing at all applicable outlets between January 1, 2023, and December 31, 2025. Schools shall continue to collect compliance samples at least every 3 years thereafter or at an earlier time as determined by the Commissioner. Sampling at outlets from past compliance testing (prior to December 22, 2022) with results that exceed 5 ppb should be a priority. First-draw tap testing at these outlets shall be completed as soon as practicable, and appropriate remedial actions commenced where levels are detected above the new action level of 5 ppb.

The locations that tested as actionable are below drinking water standards for public water systems which are allowed 15 ppb. Schools are held to a higher level with drinking water. Again, our current actionable level for lead is 5 ppb. This is a lower requirement than past testing cycles. Our current actionable level is a more stringent testing level than the drinking water standards. All test locations that are currently actionable are below our previous testing requirement of 15 ppb.

It is important to note that North Colonie Central School District has followed its own water testing protocols initiated a decade ago, long before the state enacted legislation, to ensure the quality of drinking water in our schools.

During the last 10 years, the results have consistently shown that drinking water sources at each of our schools have tested below the actionable level set by the state.

The following list of protocols has been put into place if a water source came back above 5 parts per billion.

Shut off water to any affected sources until a second round of testing can be conducted
If results continue to show actionable levels of lead, the district will work to replace or remediate the affected water pipes and fixtures
Conduct additional water tests to determine if the replacement/remediation was successful before placing the faucets back in service.

Please be assured that we will continue to take the necessary steps to ensure the quality of drinking water throughout our district. We will keep you informed as we continue to receive results of the ongoing water testing at our schools.

Lead Testing of School Drinking Water (via NYS Department of Health)
Information for Child Care Providers and Schools (via NYS Department of Health)
Basic Information About Lead in Drinking Water (via U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)

Please call the district at (518) 785-8591 if you have any questions.

Test results:

Forts Ferry
– Complete Forts Ferry Test Results
– Letter sent to Forts Ferry Parents
– Forts Ferry Exceedances

Goodrich Building
– Complete Goodrich Test Results
– Goodrich Re-test Lab Results
– Goodrich Results Spreadsheet

Latham Ridge Elementary School
– Complete Latham Ridge Test Results
– Letter Sent to Latham Ridge Parents (12/15/23)
– Latham Ridge Re-test Exceedances (1/23/24)
– Latham Ridge Exceedances Final (3/21/24)
– Latham Ridge Exceedances Final Results (3/21/24)

Loudonville Elementary School
– Complete Loudonville Elementary Test Results
– Letter Sent to Loudonville Elementary Parents (12/15/23)
– Loudonville Re-test Lab Results (12/28/23)
– Loudonville Re-test Exceedances (12/28/23)
– Loudonville Re-test Exceedances (1/23/24)

Maplewood Building
– Complete Maplewood Lab Results
– Maplewood results spreadsheet

Shaker High School
– Complete SHS A-Wing, Locker Rooms and Kitchens Test Results (4/15/24)
– SHS A-Wing, Locker Rooms and Kitchens Exceedances (4/15/24)
– Letter Sent to Shaker High School Parents & Staff (4/22/24)
– SHS Ice Machines Test Results
– SHS Ice Machines Results Spreadsheet

Shaker Middle School
– SMS Ice Machines Test Results
– SMS Ice Machines Results Spreadsheet

Pesticide and Asbestos Notifications

The use of pesticide products may be applied periodically throughout the school year at the North Colonie Central School District. Under the Pesticide Neighbor Notification Law, Section 409-h of the Education Law, the District is required to maintain a list of parents/guardians and school staff (who wish to receive 48 hour advanced written notice) of an actual pesticide application in the facilities or on school grounds.

To register for the 48 hour notification, please fill out this form before the start of each school year. To obtain additional information on the Pesticide Neighbor Notification Law contact Mark Wiegert, Director of Custodial Services at (518) 273-4844.

In accordance with the requirements of the federal regulation known as AHERA (Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act), the school district has conducted inspections and developed management plans for each of the district’s schools. These management plans are available for your review during regular business hours at the individual schools. Included in these management plans is information regarding AHERA inspections, operations and maintenance, period surveillance and response action activities. It is the intention of the North Colonie Central School District to comply with all federal and state regulations controlling asbestos and to take the appropriate steps necessary to ensure students and employees have a healthy and safe environment in which to learn and work.

View the district’s policy on Pesticide/Herbicide Applications to School Fields and Playgrounds or contact the Maintenance Department at (518) 785-5771 for more information.

Integrated Pest Management Information

Adopted: July 7, 2011

The intent of the new law is to require schools and day care centers to manage grounds and pests without pesticides. Emergency determinations should only be sought or granted for a one-time pesticide application for a specific situation, which presents a true emergency. To provide guidance on deciding when a situation is not an emergency, the DEC, State DOH and SED, in consultation with OCFS, identified the following situations that these state agencies generally would not consider to warrant an emergency pesticide application determination:

when the problem can be managed with the allowed products and/or alternative pest management methods (even when it takes time to learn and fully practice pesticide alternatives).
for routine or repetitive pest problems. Pest problems can occur on a regular or seasonal basis, but they do not usually rise to the level of a public health or environmental threat that constitutes an emergency.
when the pesticide application would be for purely aesthetic (non-emergency) reasons.

Consulting Agency Recourses Regarding Public Health-Related Emergency Situations: