On December 2, the Board of Education agreed to eliminate the construction of an ampitheater and renovations to the auditorium that were initially proposed in the scope of work under consideration at the Middle School. After removing these items, the new anticipated project cost is $49.78 million. The State Aid reimbursement for the project remains at $20.03, leaving $29.75 to be covered locally.
In addition, the Assistant Superintendent for Business has presented an alternative funding strategy that would allow the District to delay bonding for one year. This means that new debt associated with the project will not impact taxpayers until the September 2012 school tax bill. At this point, all debt (both new and existing) would be responsible for increasing the tax levy by 1.1 percent for the next three years (2012-2014), and then 1.2 percent increase for the fourth year (2015). After this point, the portion of the tax levy impacted by debt either increases or remains the same for the remainder of the 20 year repayment schedule.
More details will be posted on the website shortly.
December 3, 2009
A recent quote in one of our community newspapers has generated some misunderstanding regarding the State Aid reimbursement anticipated for the proposed project. The assistant superintendent for business was quoted saying, “It looks like it is going to be $37 million.” This has been justifiably confusing, since the District’s presentations and publications project the State Aid level to be $20.03 million.
The amount of State Aid is determined by applying the District’s Aid Ratio (which is 60.7 percent) to the portion of the project that New York State Education Department (NYSED) determines is eligible for aid. The $37 million is NOT the amount of State Aid the District anticipates receiving, but rather the amount of the project that the District anticipates could be eligible for State Aid (that would then be calculated at the District’s aid ratio of 60.7 percent).
Since it was the District’s goal to involve the community in this process as early as possible, it was necessary to use estimated figures. To be fair and present the “most expensive scenario” possible, conservative figures for the portion of the project that would be eligible for State Aid were used.
Before the scope of the project was defined, the architects were conservatively estimating that $28-$30 million of the total project costs would be eligible for aid. Since then, the Board of Education has made important decisions that have taken some of the “mystery” out of the mix, and have allowed more accurate projections. The architects have also been working closely with NYSED to maximize the aid possibilities available, and will continue to do so in order to ensure the community receives the best value for its investment.
On November 10, the preliminary word from NYSED was that approximately $35-$37 million of the project might be approved for the State Aid. Just a few days later, after senior members of NYSED team were able to review the plan, they revised their preliminary analysis to qualify $33 million. This is still much more than was originally projected.
This $33 million figure is the most recent estimate used in all of the calculations and would generate $20.03 million in State Aid. Although our State Aid figures are still preliminary (because no one other than the New York State Education Department can make the final determination), much more accurate information is available now than when the discussion first began in October.
It is possible the final State Aid amount will change again, and if it does, the District will continue to provide the most up-to-date data available.
November 18, 2009
For those of you unable to attend the Community Forum tonight (7 PM at Lenape Elementary School), please download a PDF of the Board of Education’s PowerPoint presentation to learn more.
Several upcoming opportunities to learn more about the Middle School Project are also planned this week. Mark your calendars with the following dates:
November 16, 2009 at 7:00 PM
Public Forum @ Lenape School Cafeteria
November 17, 2009 at 7:00 PM
Duzine-Lenape PTA @ Lenape Library
November 18, 2009 at 8:30 AM
Superintendent’s Coffee @ District Office
November 18, 2009 at 7:00 PM
BOE Meeting @ New Paltz High School
November 19, 2009 at 6:30 PM
MS PTA @ Middle School
November 16, 2009
After years of discussion and planning about how to address the aged Middle School facility, which was built in 1930, the New Paltz Board of Education has presented a plan, which is still a work-in-progress, to the public. The Board’s goal is to approve a resolution for a Middle School Capital Project on December 16, 2009 in order to hold a public vote on February 9, 2010 (tentative).
Deciding how to address the Middle School building has been a dilemma for many years (see blog from 2007-2008 when the Board turned to community for input on whether to relocate the Middle School or renovate at the existing site). For the past 18 months, the Board has actively been working with Rhinebeck Architecture & Planning, PC, a firm specializing in educational facilities, to identify options for addressing the building’s deficiencies.
After reviewing and revising numerous options, the Board has agreed on a plan that uses a combination of renovation and new construction to address the failing infrastructure and educational space deficiencies, as well as meets specific District spatial goals. Details about the proposed project can be found on this website.
While the Board is acutely aware of the current economic conditions facing our nation, plans to address the Middle School issues have been under discussion for many years. Waiting for a better time to present the culmination of their work would likely result in substantially higher costs. According to the District’s professional consultants, the conditions offered by the present economy are expected to provide the opportunity to secure project bids for less cost than what has been available in recent years. Securing bids soon will also help safeguard the District from cost escalations that will occur when the market shows greater improvement in the next few years, as is predicted. Current interest rates are also favorable, which means additional cost benefits can be leveraged at this time. Aside from the effort to save as much money as possible for the community in the long run, the health/safety and educational needs of the students are such that the Board of Education and Superintendent Maria Rice feel that it would be irresponsible for them to delay this decision any further.
October 27, 2009
Learn More About the Proposed Middle School Capital Project
The District is working to ensure the community has timely, accurate information available before a public vote is held on February 9. Updates and revisions will be posted as new information emerges. There are also various ways in which community members can share their suggestions and comments with the Board of Education (including leaving a comment on this blog).
Attend a Meeting! Discussions about the Middle School project are included on the agenda of every Board of Education meeting, and additional special meetings are planned before a public vote is held. Presentations about the project will be held from 7-8:30 PM on the following dates:
- November 10 at Duzine Elementary School
- November 16 at Lenape Elementary School
- December 1 at New Paltz High School
- December 9 at New Paltz Middle School
E-mail us! A special E-mail address has been set up to allow community members to share their suggestions and opinions with the Board of Education. Send comments to msproject@newpaltz.k12.ny.us. We will also E-mail you any publications, reports, press releases, etc. that we issue, so you will be in the loop on what is happening.
Sign up to hear from us! By sending a request to msproject@newpaltz.k12.ny.us, we will automatically E-mail you any publications, reports, press releases, etc. that we create, so you can keep up-to-date on emerging information from the District on this important topic.
Visit our Website! Comprehensive reports and presentations about the project are continuously made available on this site. Stay tuned for updates and more information or subscribe for RSS feed updates to receive notifications when content changes.
Check your Mailbox! A detailed newsletter explaining the specifics of the project and the related costs will be sent to all residents after the Board finalizes the decisions necessary in order to move to the next stage of the process.
October 27, 2009
