The Cazenovia Central School District will present a referendum to district voters this December seeking permission to bond for a more than $7 million capital project to make necessary infrastructure repairs in all three district school buildings.
The work, which would be for items such as roofing, windows, floors, new boilers, water pipes and lighting, would be a bonded debt. However, there will be no additional tax impacts to district residents because by the time the capital project debt payments would begin in fiscal year 2015-16, the district will have just completed paying back a previous debt of the same principle and interest payments, said Assistant Superintendent Bill Furlong.
“The timing couldn’t be better,” Furlong said. “All of these items [needing repair and replacement] are at the end of their useful life.”
The report on the district’s proposed capital building project was presented to the board of education at its Oct. 1 meeting. Furlong detailed the scope of the project, which will encompass work at all three district buildings.
At Burton Street Elementary School, the district intends to repair or replace items in electrical, safety and exterior areas of the building: Replace the lighting in all common areas (hallways, cafeteria/gym, restrooms, etc.); upgrade the power panels; replace the clock system; remove the partition in the gym; enclose the art room kiln; add eye wash safety stations; resurface the playground with engineered wood chips; replace parts of the building roof; replace the exterior doors; and replace the hot water system.
At the Emory Avenue Middle and High School building, where “the lion’s share of the work” will be, Furlong said the district wants to replace all the high school carpeting, windows in both the high school and the middle school, the roof at the middle school and parts of the high school, the exterior doors, the boiler and heating system for both buildings, the pipes for both buildings, the heat pumps for both buildings and the building water main. The district also wants to upgrade the fire system and electrical system; upgrade the clock system; repave the bus circle and parking lot and remake the west high school entrance.
The project is expected to cost $7,368,000, Furlong said, although he feels confident the state will give the district its full allowable building aid for the project, which would be 75 percent of the total cost.
“If we don’t do these things now, it will be more expensive later,” he said.
The anticipated timeline for the project, if the public bonding referendum is approved this December, would be for the state education department approvals to be applied for and received and architectural plans created and approved by the end of 2014, go out for construction bidding in early 2015 and have the actual construction occur during the summers of 2015 and 2016.
“All the things in here are need, not wants … there’s no cream here,” said board member Karin Marris. The rest of the board agreed, and voted unanimously to move forward with the project.
The district will now begin a public education campaign through local media, the district website and newsletter and public meetings to inform district residents of the issues and details of the project, Furlong said.
By law, the district must hold a public hearing on the proposed capital project and bonding, similar to its annual budget hearings, which will probably occur Dec. 2, said district Superintendent Bob Dubik.
For more information on the planned capital building project, visit the school district website at caz.cnyric.org and scroll down to the post titled, “Board of Education moves forward with building project.”
Jason Emerson is editor of the Cazenovia republican. He can be reached at [email protected].
