Albany High School students will pack new hallways this week following summer construction.
The school’s nearly $180 million overhaul began in 2018 and is on track to be completed by the start of the 2025-26 school year.
The project includes renovations to the existing building and additions totaling nearly 630,000-square feet. The upgrades include dedicated art and music wings, a new library and auditorium, and technology updates.
Jodi Commerford, who is entering her 11th year as an administrator, says the school is starting to feel like a true campus with new athletic spaces, new hallways creating more direct routes, and gender-neutral locker rooms and bathrooms.
Some of the highest-profile upgrades have been for the career and technical programs. Currently students are shuttled back and forth to the nearby Abrookin Career and Technical Center. Commerford says once construction is complete, all CTE programs will be on the school’s main campus.
“We have two CTE programs left over there, the barbering is over there too. And then we have our technology classes over there and some of our special education classes.”
Around the corner from the front office is a salon where cosmetology students learn and practice. Cosmetology and barbering teachers offer services throughout the day, too. Senior Zondaria Smith has been in the barbering program for three years. During welcome back events in late August, she was giving another student a buzz.
“Well, it’s highly appreciated because I didn’t think I would do this, but I do it so,” Smith said. “It’s kinda easy, a little bit.”
On the lower floor is an automotive shop. Members of the public can bring in parts to have their cars worked on.
“Each year as we have opened up a new section of the building our parent participation, our community participation has increased,” Commerford said. “I would average probably 200-250 parents, family members at events prior. It kept going up slowly and then once this, we got into the really bigger space for our last school year I was amazed. We filled the auditorium and it holds 800 people on that first floor and there were people standing as well so we have literally tripled our participation of our families.”
The school – which has an enrollment of 2,500 students in grades 9 through 12 – also offers programs in construction, culinary, and health sciences. Commerford says a majority of students leave with a certification or college credits.
“We probably have over 30 courses that you can earn college credit for in all departments and we’re growing those all of the time,” Commerford said. “So, we have partnerships with SUNY, Potsdam, RIT.”
She says investments in trades is a priority.
“You know you have so many, too many people going to college now, we don’t have enough people in certified trades,” Commerford said.
There is also opportunity for some students to earn work hours during the school day.
“Special education students who are getting their work hours really are running the school store which is pretty neat,” Commerford said. “So, they’ve taken ownership of this space, they decorated it and they do the books. So, students can come in here on their lunch or study hall’s they make coffee and tea and so they run this as a club for the school and they can get donations and things like that so this has been a real like boost to their sell esteem.”
The next and final phase of the school overhaul is already underway. It includes the demolition and rebuilding of kitchens and cafeterias. Commerford detailed what to expect come 2025.
“So, the third floor is going to be our fourth academy, citizenship. That’s kind of displaced right now in the building. But we’ve got the whole office over right in the space across the hall there. The second floor is going to be CTE. So that’ll be the culinary program, our theater arts classroom will go there, our tech classes will be in there and you know tech, pre-engineering and then our first floor will be our two cafeterias and then we have a special-ed wing there.”