Capital Project
Plan addresses current, future program needs
November 12, 2010
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| See capital project slideshow |
On Monday, Dec. 13, Mohonasen voters will decide on a $43,444,000 building referendum – a plan to update and modernize district facilities to meet both current and future program needs.
The project, which would be mostly funded through state building aid, is the second phase of the district’s long-range plan. The first phase – the EXCEL project approved by voters in 2007 – addressed infrastructure needs such as plumbing and heating. In this second phase, district officials set their sights on programs and services for students.
“The bottom line is that our buildings are outdated and have not kept pace with growing infrastructure demands. As standards and expectations rise, we continue to find ways to grow programs – but we can’t keep doing that in our buildings as they are currently configured,” Superintendent Dr. Kathleen Spring said.
She and the members of the Board of Education recognize that with the nationwide economic recession and state budget woes, this is not an ideal time to put a building referendum before voters.
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| Watch capital project video |
“These are difficult times, but that doesn’t mean we can stop thinking about the future of our district,” she said. “Waiting to do this work won’t change the fact that our high school science rooms don’t meet state regulations or that the Pinewood gym is too small. Waiting won’t change the fact that our transportation garage poses real safety concerns.”
“If we wait we are also taking a gamble that state building aid will be reduced further,” she added.
State aid will cover about 80 percent—or $34.8 million—of the total project cost. Of the remaining cost, $2.5 million will come from the district’s capital reserve fund and $6.1 million would be paid through local taxes.
Officials are estimating that the resulting tax impact would be approximately $40 on a $100,000 home.
However, they believe that can be somewhat offset through the sale of two buildings owned by the district: the storage facility on Remsen Street and a house on the 36-acre property adjacent to the HS/MS campus that was recently purchased with voter approval.
The total project cost includes the $1.425 million land acquisition. While the funding for the land is coming from the capital reserve fund, by including it as part of the overall plan it becomes eligible for state aid.
