Albany Schools Weigh Closures and Bond Measure

District faces declining enrollment and rising costs as it plans for the future.

Apr. 10, 2026 at 7:50am

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A bold, pop art-inspired illustration featuring a repeating grid of stylized school books in bright neon colors, conceptually representing the difficult decisions facing the Albany school district.As Albany schools grapple with enrollment declines and aging facilities, a bond measure could help fund critical campus upgrades while consolidation efforts aim to cut costs.Albany Today

The Albany Public Schools district is considering closing several elementary schools and a middle school over the next few years in order to save money, while also preparing to ask voters to approve a major bond measure to fund capital improvements to the remaining school buildings.

Why it matters

Declining enrollment and increasing per-pupil costs have put the Albany school district in a difficult position, forcing them to make tough decisions about school closures while also seeking new funding to upgrade aging facilities. This balancing act highlights the financial challenges many school districts face as they work to provide quality education with limited resources.

The details

The district's long-range facilities planning committee discussed potential school closures at an April 7 meeting, including Central, Oak, Waverly and North Albany elementary schools, as well as North Albany Middle School. Superintendent Andy Gardner said the goal is to save money by consolidating students into fewer, larger schools. The committee is expected to make recommendations to the school board later this year. Separately, the district is planning a bond election in 2027 to raise funds for improvements to the remaining school buildings, including a proposed six-classroom addition at Takena Elementary to accommodate students from the closed Central School.

  • The long-range facilities planning committee met on April 7, 2026 to discuss potential school closures.
  • The committee is expected to make recommendations to the school board later in 2026.
  • The district is planning a bond election in 2027 to fund capital improvements to school buildings.

The players

Andy Gardner

Superintendent of Albany Public Schools, overseeing the district's facilities planning and potential school closures.

Albany Public Schools

The school district serving the city of Albany, which is considering closing several elementary and middle schools due to declining enrollment and rising costs.

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What they’re saying

“School consolidation was the main topic at an April 7 meeting of a long-range facilities planning committee. The committee is supposed to make recommendations to the school board later this year.”

— Hasso Hering, Reporter

What’s next

The long-range facilities planning committee will make recommendations to the Albany Public Schools board later in 2026, and the district plans to hold a bond election in 2027 to fund capital improvements to remaining school buildings.

The takeaway

The Albany school district is facing a difficult balancing act, needing to close some schools to save money while also seeking new funding to upgrade aging facilities. This highlights the financial challenges many districts face in providing quality education with limited resources, and the tough decisions they must make about school closures and facility investments.