If you’re at all interested in the future of Albany school buildings, you might want to catch up with the discussions of a huge advisory committee that has been kicking around ideas since last fall.
Starting in October, this group of about 40 members has been studying enrollment trends and facility needs in Greater Albany Public Schools. In a nutshell, the question is this: What should the district do in the face of having fewer students, rising costs for staffing and building repairs, and plenty of unused space in most of the schools?
Declining enrollment? Yes, the number of students in Albany schools has dropped by more than 1,000 since 2018. About 80 percent of that loss was in the 14 elementary schools. (Total district enrollment last fall: 8,486, down from 9,566 in 2017-18.)…