News

Read the proposal for temporary student relocation: 2018-19 school year.

Leer la propuesta para la reubicación temporal de estudiantes: Año escolar 2018-19.

Demolition and reconstruction of Oak Grove is scheduled to start when school lets out for the summer. The new building, funded by the 2017 bond measure and designed for a larger student body, is expected to open in fall 2019.

This means that Oak Grove students will need to spend the year elsewhere. At the School Board meeting on Monday night, the board reviewed options for temporary relocation of Oak Grove students, including scenarios where students attend a combination of Fir Grove, North Albany Elementary School and North Albany Middle School for the year.

See the presentation to the School Board. 

Ver la presentación a la Mesa Directiva.

The district is seeking parent and community input via an online survey that will be open from Jan. 23 to Feb. 11. (Paper copies are available in school offices.) This feedback will be considered by the Board before they make a final decision on the plan.

Take the survey: Open until Feb. 11

Responda la encuesta: Abierto hasta el 11 de febrero

No option is ideal, but the temporary adjustments will allow construction of the new building, which will create space for more students and improve the learning environment for students.

Considerations in the planning process:

• More than 290 students will be displaced for the year due to construction.
• Keeping students in North Albany rather than sending them over the bridge to other schools is a priority.
• There is classroom space at nearby Fir Grove Elementary School, North Albany Elementary School and North Albany Middle School.

Goals for relocation

• Put kids first.
• Consider common space needs for lunch, PE classes, etc.
• Disrupt as few classrooms as possible.
• Minimize locations, number of schools for families and number of schools for student transitions.
• Keep the plan as simple as possible.
• Minimize costs for moving and renovation.

Additional opportunities for feedback are scheduled:

• Public meeting at NAMS, Feb. 5, 7 p.m.
• Regularly scheduled School Board meeting, Feb. 26, 7 p.m

On Saturday, 16 middle schools from around the state sent jazz bands to the 12th annual NAMS Music Festival. The event included performances by each school band and clinics taught by high school band directors, including West Albany High School Band Director Stuart Welsh.

The event is a fundraiser for the NAMS music program and provides an opportunity for all GAPS middle school bands to perform and observe other school bands.

Students also had the chance to see a performance by the band directors during the Directors’ Jam during the lunch hour. 

School Board Director Jennifer Ward volunteers at the concession stand during the jazz festival.

A participating school band poses for a group photo after their performance at NAMS.

The bond project plan and timeline is nearly complete, and work is scheduled to start this summer at school sites around the district.

This summer, high-priority projects at 18 school sites will begin, including upgrades at 11 elementary schools, three middle schools, two high schools, the district office and facility department.

The project list includes Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) improvements, fire alarms and doors, food science classroom and PE locker room upgrades, and improvements to address HVAC, plumbing, paving, roofing and seismic needs.

See the list of school sites and projects. 

Demolition and reconstruction work will also start at Oak Grove Elementary School as soon as school is out for the year.

Designs for the new building are complete. See the latest drawings.

Music students from Greater Albany middle and high schools participated in the All-State Music Conference in Eugene this weekend. The high school students were selected through an audition process, and the middle school students were recommended by their music teachers. The annual event is sponsored by the Oregon Music Education Association.

Pictured above are students Emma Yonemura and Gabe LaChapelle with guest conductor Cheryl Floyd from Austin, Texas, preparing for an Honor Band performance in the Hult Center.

Emma Yonemura is a 8th grader at North Albany Middle School!!

Music students from Greater Albany middle and high schools participated in the All-State Music Conference in Eugene this weekend. The high school students were selected through an audition process, and the middle school students were recommended by their music teachers. The annual event is sponsored by the Oregon Music Education Association.

Pictured above are students Emma Yonemura and Gabe LaChapelle with guest conductor Cheryl Floyd from Austin, Texas, preparing for an Honor Band performance in the Hult Center.

Below are Ryan Nelson (senior WAHS bassoon) and Brandon Dodd (senior WAHS, oboe) with conductor Kevin Noe, guest conductor from Michigan State University after their performance with the All-State Honor Orchestra.