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How will the
proposed projects benefit the community?
The coming referendum was
significantly influenced by a report delivered by the Schalmont
Facilities Committee last fall. Most committee members have
years of experience in relevant fields, and all are members of
this community. These volunteers reviewed the condition of all
school facilities and grounds to create a list of renovation,
construction and ongoing maintenance recommendations.
Schalmont Board of Education members and school
administrators considered the committee’s feedback, Schalmont
education goals and community members’ comments when coming up
with projects proposed in Bond 2007. These projects will:
• Increase student safety and comfort.
The importance of safety is clear, but it is also
important for children in this community to have a
comfortable environment in which to learn, think and
concentrate. The average student will spend about 1,086
hours in school facilities every year, not including hours
devoted to extracurricular activities.
• Increase cost-effectiveness and energy
efficiency. It can be prohibitively expensive to provide
emergency solutions for facilities problems caused by
outdated component parts, especially if warranties have
since expired. Renovating outdated facilities also can help
lower energy costs, thus helping reduce the amount of the
school budget that must be directed toward non-educational
operating expenses.
• Improve the appearance of school
facilities. Just as family members can be proud of their
home or apartment, community members can and should be proud
of their schools. Schools serve as "homes" to children on
weekdays, but also as places of community entertainment,
athletic recreation and continuing education.
Why weren’t these issues
addressed in Bond 2000?
Though Bond 2000 provided funding for significant
facilities improvements over the last seven years, many items
identified for improvement were not able to be addressed in that
capital project. At the time, other facilities issues were
deemed of higher priority and therefore included in the $32
million proposal put before voters. The remaining unimproved
school facilities, which have continued to see considerable wear
and tear, have now moved to the top of the priority list.
What
would be the cost of Bond 2007 to local taxpayers?
If Bond 2007 is passed, the school tax levy will
be increased by $49,935 beginning in the 2009-2010 school year.
The estimated increase
of 2/10
of 1 percent (0.2%) in the amount of money that the district collects from
local taxpayers (i.e., school tax levy) would remain for 15 years until the bond
financing is paid off.
How might this play out for an individual
district resident? As an example, a home assessed at $100,000
with a school tax bill of $1,700 would see an increase in the
school tax bill of $3.40 with the passage of Bond 2007. In other
words, almost $9.8 million in capital projects could be
completed if each local taxpayer were to contribute what amounts
to the cost of a large cup of premium coffee once a year for 15
years.
In
general, why do school renovation projects cost so much?
Most homeowners know that the older
a house gets, the more expensive it becomes to keep it in good
working order. Over the years, school buildings receive a lot of
wear and tear from thousands of students, visitors and staff
members. Because schools typically are large facilities, the
resulting renovation needs are on a much larger scale, size- and
money-wise, than the average home.
School project costs also are significantly
influenced by the season and state laws. Most projects must be
squeezed into the busy, competitive summer building season to
prevent classroom interruptions. Certain state laws place
restrictions on the bidding process that can make projects cost
more for a school district than they might for the average
business.
Almost
70 percent of the cost of Bond 2007 may be paid by the state,
but doesn’t that money really come from my pocket as well?
EXCEL funding to help renovate
school facilities was included in the New York State
Legislature’s budget last April. This aid provides for $1.8
billion in infrastructure improvements for New York City schools
and $800 million for school districts throughout the rest of the
state. In addition, state building aid reimburses Schalmont for
62.8 percent of the cost of certain construction and renovation
projects.
While both sources of funding come from state
taxpayers, the money has been/will be collected and given to
school districts whether or not Schalmont makes use of it. It is
to the benefit of local residents that this school district
receives its "fair share" of the funding.
As with funds collected locally, state funds are
treated by Schalmont administrators with the same devotion to
fiscal responsibility.
What
other costs would result from the projects included in Bond
2007?
The projects in Bond 2007 do
not include the creation of new facilities or require the
addition of staff, so no significant additional costs are
anticipated outside of the actual costs of completing approved
projects.
What
happens if a project turns out to cost more than was estimated?
If Bond 2007 is approved by
voters, the district will be authorized to spend only the amount
put before voters in the referendum on Oct. 16, 2007.
Professional estimates on renovation and reconstruction projects
were used to determine the amounts proposed in Bond 2007.
Still, if approved projects increase in cost, they will have to
be scaled back, or the district will have to go back to voters
in a referendum to approve the increased cost.
When would these projects be completed?
If approved by voters, the projects in Bond 2007
would be started in 2009 and should be completed in 2010.
Why were
these projects included in a separate referendum rather than in
the annual budget?
Schools generally prefer to spread
the payments for construction and renovation projects over
several years, rather than to include them in one year’s income
(i.e., annual school budget). The latter would be much more
burdensome on taxpayers. It also would not allow school
districts to take advantage of state building aid
reimbursements, which are typically distributed over a period of
years instead of in one lump sum. A bond is a long-term way of
financing capital projects, but it requires prior approval from
residents through a referendum.
What
happens if Bond 2007 is voted down?
Most of the capital projects in
Bond 2007 address problems in the original 1957 wing of
Schalmont High School. While other areas of the school saw
renovations over the years, this wing remains much the same as
it did when the school first opened over 50 years ago.
If the bond were voted down, this aging would
continue, and Schalmont would continue to try and maintain the
facilities, despite the expense of dealing with older, often
outdated component parts. The district also might be faced with
providing expensive emergency solutions for problems such as
leaky roofs, fallen fascia panels, broken heating systems, or
gaping holes in the cement of the front bus loop area.
Schalmont also has the opportunity to make use of
one-time-only state funds to address these facilities problems,
while keeping the anticipated impact on local residents at a 0.2
percent increase in the school tax rate. Should Bond 2007
be defeated, Schalmont would not be able to use EXCEL funds to
pay for this particular set of projects. The district would have
to present a new capital project to voters in a second
referendum to try to still take advantage of this opportunity.
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