In order to reduce enrollment at Edmund J. O’Neal Middle School of Excellence, the City School District of Albany Board of Education has approved a plan to convert North Albany Academy to a small, temporary middle school for the next four years.
Under these enrollment changes, students moving into sixth grade from North Albany and Philip J. Schuyler Achievement Academy in September will attend the new temporary middle school at North Albany. Students moving into sixth grade from Arbor Hill Elementary School and Sheridan Preparatory Academy will continue to attend middle school at O’Neal.
In both cases, middle school placement for students who receive English as a New Language (ENL) or Special Education services will be determined separately by each student’s program.
At O’Neal, the enrollment changes will reduce the size of the sixth grade by about half next school year. These reductions will extend to grade 7 in the 2020-21 school year and throughout all grades in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 school years, lowering the overall enrollment in the building over that time.
At North Albany, the changes will create a temporary middle school that will have the following enrollment over the next four years:
- 2019-20 – 110 students in grade 6
- 2020-21 – 150 students in grades 6-7
- 2021-22 – 190 students in grades 6-8
- 2022-23 – 150 students in grades 6-8
The district believes these changes will allow staff at both locations to better serve all students, with lower overall enrollment in both school environments.
Separately, the district has proposed a facilities project that would convert North Albany to a permanent 650-seat middle school beginning with the 2023-24 school year. Voters will have the opportunity to consider that proposal May 21 as part of Proposition #2, a $45.6 million facilities package that would have no tax impact. In addition to the proposed expansion and renovations at North Albany, Proposition #2 also includes a proposal to expand Arbor Hill Elementary, and a five-year facilities plan with 87 projects at 18 buildings.
The district will plan for the enrollment pattern for the new permanent North Albany middle school, as well as for Hackett and Myers middle schools, through an open and inclusive community process in the coming years.
North Albany students prekindergarten-grade 4
The district has established a re-enrollment process for students currently in prekindergarten through grade 4 at North Albany. These students will attend other elementary schools throughout the district beginning with the 2019-20 school year.
- Families who live in the North Albany neighborhood zone will have re-enrollment options at other elementary schools. We will provide an application for this process later this month.
- Families who live outside of the North Albany neighborhood zone will be reassigned to their home school as long as space is available. If space is not available at the home school, families will have the opportunity to participate in the re-enrollment process.
The district will have more information about this re-enrollment process, including an application, later this month.
The mission of the City School District of Albany is to educate and prepare all students for college and career, citizenship and life, in partnership with our diverse community. The district serves approximately 9,400 students in 18 elementary, middle and high schools. In addition to neighborhood schools, the district includes several magnet schools and programs, as well as other innovative academic opportunities for students, including four themed academies at Albany High School.
