The following was an open letter submitted to the Saranac Lake Central School District (SLCSD) Board and the Buildings & Feasibility Subcommittee:

I am writing to you today to put on the record my comments regarding the upcoming closure of Bloomingdale School.

The SLCSD has seen a reduction in the number of students and that is what is prompting the SLCSD Board to close Bloomingdale School, in order to “save” approximately $500,000 per year. The SLCSD Board has been clear that closing Bloomingdale School will not result in a reduction of school taxes.

The school board conducted a comprehensive building enrollment feasibility study that was performed by Alliance Educational Associates LLC. I have done some research on this group and what little I have been able to find out about them is that they are a new group that specializes in transportation operations for school districts, yet they were chosen by the SLCSD Board to conduct this feasibility study. I urge everyone that reviews this survey and or statistics that have been provided by it to highly keep in mind in the study’s introduction, it states everything that is presented is off of 15 different assumptions and those assumptions are listed; not one assumption, not two assumptions, but 15 — to justify the results. Nothing is mentioned about the new state budget that has been passed and the housing initiatives in the works moving forward. Nothing is mentioned about the new Loft apartments, which will have 69 units or the Carry, where an additional 7 apartments will be located. Several buildings in Saranac Lake have been purchased recently, and with new owners and upgrades to existing apartments, more housing will be available. I believe it is very shortsighted of the SLCSD Board to close Bloomingdale School without taking into consideration the new housing that will be open in less than one year.

Specific questions regarding the study: The area population projections are not specific to what area it is referring to. It does not say the Saranac Lake school district area population projections, just the general population.

The historical kindergarten enrollment numbers can have a 26% increase in population (The study states this in the year 2019-20). We are assuming the numbers will go down, but in one year, we saw a 26% increase. What if this increase occurs? Do we really want to consider closing the newest, functional facility that the taxpayers have paid decades for? If the SLCSD Board decides to move forward with closing Bloomingdale School, I urge them to consider the possibility of a 26% increase in the school-age children population. Within 5 years, we could be at population levels that would require additional classrooms for each elementary school grade.

I personally do not agree with the decision to close Bloomingdale School, nor do I believe that this will be in the best interest of all of our students.

When the Buildings & Facilities Committee members toured Petrova Elementary and Middle School on Nov. 5, 2025, I was shocked at how cramped many of the classrooms were. The term “shoehorned” comes to mind whenever I think about some of those rooms. Whenever I think about that tour, I cannot help asking myself, “Why are the kids so crammed into Petrova when we have plenty of space at Bloomingdale School for them?”

Another thing that was brought to my attention during the tour of Petrova was the fact that we have some students eating breakfast at 7:30 a.m., and then having lunch at 10:30 a.m., because there are so many students at Petrova. How is this fair to our students? It doesn’t have to be this way; we have space at Bloomingdale School.

An additional consideration should be the length of the bus ride for many students living at the farthest reaches of our District. Some of our students are riding the bus for over 2 hours each day. Closing Bloomingdale School will have a big impact on the youngest of our student’s that ride from the farthest areas.

I am also dismayed that the SLCSD Board is rushing to make a final decision about closing Bloomingdale School before the Buildings and Facilities Committee was able to finish all of our meetings and made recommendations to the school board. The claim that the state requires us to give them an answer sooner than anticipated should not matter; this decision should not be made in a rush but rather in a thoughtful and conscious manner that takes into consideration all of the ramifications of this decision. If this is truly the biggest decision that the school board will make in decades, then keep Bloomingdale School open for at least one more year to ensure you are making the correct choice.

I also question what the SLCSD Board has planned for Bloomingdale School if they close it. I have heard many ideas talked about, including turning Bloomingdale School into housing for traveling nurses, teachers, etc. While I wholeheartedly agree that our area needs additional housing, I feel that it is absolutely critical to have a plan for Bloomingdale School before it closes. I know for a fact that even if grants were obtained to turn Bloomingdale School into housing, the grants do have a match, usually between 25% to 50% of the total. If this is the case, where is the SLCSD Board going to come up with the funds for these matching grants? Is it legal to utilize taxpayer dollars to fund projects that have nothing to do with educating our students? A quick Google search reveals the following: School taxes are allocated to fund teacher salaries and benefits, instructional materials, curriculum development, professional development, special education services, student transportation, counseling and health services, extracurricular activities, day-to-day operational and maintenance costs of buildings and facilities, capital projects such as long-term building upgrades and purchases of school buses.

I respectfully urge the Saranac Lake Central School District Board to slow down this process; take the time that is needed to determine the best path forward. Make a plan, not just ideas bounced around a room; make an actual/factual plan.

Unfortunately, I believe that the SLCSD Board has already decided to close Bloomingdale School. While I respect the SLCSD Board members and understand that they are making a choice that they feel is the best for our District, I disagree with them. Further, I am predicting that within the next 10 years, the property owners in the SLCSD will be taxed to fund an addition to Petrova Elementary School.

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Davina Thurston is the supervisor of the town of St. Armand.