Vote is Oct. 18; referendum public information meeting is Oct. 5
By Sarah Hall
Editor
The North Syracuse Central School District is asking voters to approve a $22.5 million capital project, which includes much-needed repairs to one of its oldest schools.
According to Superintendent Annette Speach, Karl W. Saile Bear Road Elementary has not had any significant repairs since it was built in 1958, save for a small addition in 1965 and some roof work.
“The building appears gloomy and tired, both inside and out,” Speach wrote in a district newsletter on the referendum. “It is long overdue for us to bring this building up to efficiency standards and to create a learning environment that meets instructional needs well into the future.”
Speach wrote that KWS Bear Road was next on the list on the district’s systematic renovation plan for its schools when the recession hit in 2008, and the school’s planned repairs had to be delayed. It is only now that the district is able to present a plan for the necessary renovations for a vote.
The referendum calls for reconstruction and repairs at KWS Bear Road, including additions, replacement windows, original furnishings, equipment and machinery at a projected cost of $20.9 million.
Voters are also being asked to approve the installation of a new transportation fueling station at the district’s transportation complex on Taft Road. According to the district, the current equipment is reaching the end of its useful life; it is looking to install new fueling systems, equipment and tanks that meet up-to-date safety and security standards, as well as allowing for better traffic flow at the complex. The proposed cost for the fueling station is $1.6 million.
The total cost for the project is expected to be $22.5 million, which will increase the tax levy by an estimated 0.9 percent. For a house valued at $100,000, the average annual increase will be $21.
The district will host a public information meeting on the referendum at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 5, at KWS Bear Road Elementary, 5590 Bear Road, North Syracuse.
The vote will take place from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 18. Those who live north of Route 481 should vote at Cicero Elementary School on Route 31. Those who live south of Route 481 should vote at the administrative office building, 5355 W. Taft Road, North Syracuse.
In order to vote in the referendum, you must be a resident of the NSCSD for 30 days prior to the election 18 years of age or older eligible to vote in U.S. elections. If you are not registered to vote, you must do so by Oct. 13. The district is holding an evening voter registration session from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 5, at Cicero Elementary on Route 31 and at the Jerome F. Melvin Administrative Office Building on Taft Road in North Syracuse. Voters may also register at the district office building during business hours (8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday). To obtain an absentee ballot, contact District Clerk Connie Gibson at 218-2131.
