The Future of Walden Elementary School 

Town Hall Meeting

Watch the live stream of the Town Hall Meeting that took place on Nov. 14.

Feasibility Study

View the Walden Feasibility Study

Board Presentation

View the Presentation from the Special Meeting of the Board of Education on Oct. 30.

Planning for the Future: The Journey of Walden Elementary School

As Walden Elementary School approaches its 100th anniversary, the vibrant school community is at a pivotal moment in its history. Known for its caring climate and culture, Walden has fostered a dynamic environment where staff and families are dedicated to prioritizing the needs of students. As we look toward the future, we recognize the importance of sustaining this culture for generations to come. We are committed to ensuring that Walden Elementary continues to thrive, prioritizing the needs of both current and future students. However, the building itself, while safe, is beginning to show its age, prompting critical discussions about its future.

A Commitment to Community Engagement

Over the past year, Walden Elementary has embraced a collaborative three-phase approach to explore options for revitalizing the school. This process has emphasized transparency, stakeholder engagement, and informed decision-making. The Valley Central community has played an integral role in this exploration, with numerous communications designed to keep everyone informed and involved.

Key Engagement Activities:

1. Board Meetings: Regular updates have been provided during board meetings, allowing community members to stay abreast of developments.
2. Community Tours: Six tours of Walden Elementary have been conducted, inviting community members to see firsthand the current state of the building and its facilities.
3. Communication Outreach: A flyer was mailed to the entire Valley Central Community, ensuring that every resident had access to important information regarding the school’s future.
4. Informative Video: A video was shared outlining the challenges facing Walden Elementary, giving those unable to attend tours a chance to engage with the issues at hand.
5. Surveys for Feedback: A survey was distributed to gather input from all community members, demonstrating a commitment to listening to the voices of those most affected by the school’s future.
6. Special Board Meeting: The school community was invited to attend a special meeting of the Board of Education on Oct. 30 to discuss the feasibility study.
7. Town Hall Meeting: A Town Hall meeting was held on Nov. 14 where the school community was invited to attend and ask questions and/or provide feedback regarding the future of Walden Elementary School.

Continuous Updates

Updates on Walden Elementary’s status are consistently posted on this page titled “The Future of Walden.” This page serves as a centralized hub for information and is designed to keep the community informed and engaged.

Moving Forward: Phases of Progress

The District has successfully completed Phase 1 of its planning process and is now entering Phase 2. This transition represents an exciting opportunity for the community to reimagine the future of the school, ensuring it continues to serve students for the next century.

We understand that anxiety often accompanies significant transitions, and we want to acknowledge those feelings. We want to emphasize that no final decisions regarding the future of Walden Elementary have been made at this time. We are committed to fostering transparency and inclusivity among all community stakeholders and cultivating a culture of open dialogue. 

We encourage everyone to continue these important conversations about our process and the phases we are undertaking. The District recognizes the importance of ongoing factual discussions and values the insights of all stakeholders. Community members are encouraged to reach out with questions or feedback to ensure they receive accurate and timely information. communications@vcsdny.org

Background

The schools that make up Valley Central School District are the heartbeat of our community. By taking our community survey, your responses will help determine priorities for the future of our beloved Walden Elementary School.

Built in 1926, Walden Elementary School is showing signs of its nearly 100-year age. Sitting on 2.3 acres in the Village of Walden, the school welcomes approximately 450 children in Kindergarten through fifth grade each year. While the building is safe for students, we’ve come to a critical point in addressing several areas in need of improvement so that we can provide the best possible learning environment for our students.

The current footprint does not offer any green space for playgrounds or fields like the other schools in the district. The building layout creates bottlenecks, making it difficult for students and faculty to properly navigate the space.

Outdated and undersized classrooms create barriers to learning. Lack of a permanent stage limits music and theater performances. Without a dedicated bus loop, buses line the streets and create traffic for residents during busy drop off and pick up times.

Watch the Video To Learn More About the Challenges at Walden Elementary School

Your responses to the community survey will help us to determine the priorities as we plot our course of action going forward. Your feedback is important to us and we thank you for taking the time to complete our survey!

Our Collaborative Three-Phase Approach

In thinking about the longevity of our school and the future of our students, we are taking our time in this process and collaborating with many stakeholders, including board members, school administrators, community members, teachers, parents, and students.

We are currently in phase one of our three-phase approach.

Phase 1

• Establish Walden Committee
• Conduct a feasibility report
• Gather community feedback on the facility components of the future school
• Conduct an equity comparison to our other elementary schools
• Walden Committee visits other elementary schools in and out of the District

Phase 2

• The final feasibility report, including results of all studies and surveys, will be shared with the community
• Walden Committee will use the information to make a recommendation to the Board of Education
• The Board of Education will select a final preferred option to be submitted to The New York State Education Department (NYSED) for preliminary fiscal review
• After NYSED completes their review, the Board of Education approves the capital project to be voted on by the community  
• The community votes on the capital project, which impacts the future of Walden Elementary

Phase 3

• Design process begins
• Design is completed
• Plans submitted to the New York State Education Department
• New York State Education Department approves plan
• Bidding process
• Awarding of contracts
• Work begins

Frequently Asked Questions

What will happen to students during construction?

Construction will take multiple years depending on the option we choose. If students cannot attend the current Walden Elementary School building during that time period, we will explore other alternatives which may include temporarily attending other schools within the District

Is the goal to restructure/rebuild, or have a new building altogether? Would a new building be at a new location or in Walden?

No decision has been made yet. The feasibility study will analyze all of our options. We are taking everything into consideration. The feasibility study will look at space, state aid, and other considerations. We will keep the community updated as new information becomes available.

We’re also gathering feedback from students, staff, community members, and parents. We want as much information as possible. Your feedback will help us to set priorities.

We ask that community members avoid speculation and are encouraged to email all questions, concerns, and feedback to the district directly to our Communications Team.

Will this impact the budget in 2025-2026?

No, this capital project will not impact the 2025-2026 school budget. The impact on the budget won’t be determined until we have approval from the New York State Education Department.

What about students with accessibility needs at Walden Elementary School in the meantime?

Student’s with accessibility needs may attend another elementary school within Valley Central that can better fit their requirements. Most times this is only temporary, for example if a student will be on crutches for a few weeks.

Timeline of Walden Elementary School Building Renovations

1926 – Walden Elementary School is built. It sits at 70,000 square feet on 2.3 acres.

1952 – A new wing is added onto the building to meet its growing student population.

1992 – The boiler system is replaced.

2008 – The roof is replaced.

2023 – The soffit on the 1952 wing received a necessary repair.

2023 – Unit ventilators and classroom floors were replaced in the 1952 wing.

Updates during the course of this process will be posted on this page. For specific questions or feedback, please email our Communications Team.