The Schuylerville Central School District would like to inform the community of the impacts of the capital project on the manmade pond on campus, after hearing concerns from the community that the annual turtle counting event was canceled this year. District administrators were concerned about student safety and canceled the event out of an abundance of caution as construction activity is underway around the pond.

The capital project will increase the pond size due to additional water run-off from the roofs of the middle and high school additions as well as the site work associated with the parking lot /field area. The design and construction of the manmade pond was coordinated with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and the Army Corp of Engineers. The district has been assured that the construction of the pond will not disturb the turtle habitat and will actually increase the size of this habitat upon completion. When normal activities resume next year, the grading, or shaping of the landscape, will also allow a greater variety of instructional uses for the pond including wildlife watching, and areas where students and teachers can walk safety to the edges of the pond. The construction of the pond and all of the activities of the capital improvement project are continually being reviewed by the design team, construction managers and the district team to ensure that construction is being done per the contract drawings and specifications safely and efficiently.