Hearing, vote set on capital project at ODY

VAN HORNESVILLE — Voters in the Owen D. Young Central School District will go to the polls next month to cast their ballots on a proposed $3,240,000 capital improvement project.

A public hearing on the proposal is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 3 in the Owen D. Young Central School auditorium.

Voting will be from noon to 8 p.m. on Dec. 9 in the school library.

The proposal, which includes elements in the areas of safety, infrastructure, accessibility and energy, is the result of more than eight months of work by a committee that included members from the school and community as well as architects, engineers and others, according to Superintendent Christopher Groves. The committee made use of data that had been put together previously as well as considering anything new that was brought up, he said.

An August newsletter states the Community Capital Project Team was working to develop a comprehensive plan to retain the historical nature of the district's buildings while improving the infrastructure and educational space and making the facilities more economically efficient.

“It was a delicate balance,” said Groves.

He offered several examples of the work to be done in the proposal's various categories.

Under safety, the project would create a single point of entry for parent drop-offs. A number of parents drive their children to school, Groves said, and the intent is to have a better loop for this.

Infrastructure projects would include heating and ventilation work and water filtration in the dormers.

The science labs would be renovated. The current labs are “clearly dated” according to Groves, and the renovations would increase instructional opportunities for students at a time when there is a great deal of focus on science, technology and math.

Energy-related projects would include insulating hot water tanks and roofs where heat is currently being lost.

In addition to authorizing the $3,240,000 project, the proposition authorizes the school board to expend $100,000 from the district's capital improvements reserve fund toward the project.

The use of reserve funds combined with state aid would keep the project from boosting taxes, Groves said. He said the board was fiscally responsible in setting up the project.

“They're managing within the same debt ceiling,” said Groves.

The district has already conducted a couple of information sharing sessions with staff and with the Parent-Teachers Organization to share information about the project. A recent newsletter that was sent out included a flyer about the proposal.

If the proposition passes, the design process would begin in January and run through November 2015 with the State Education Department guiding the district through the process, according to Groves. There could be some changes to the overall scope of the project list, although not to the amount to be spent, during this time.

At the end of the design phase, the district would advertise for bids. Construction would begin in January 2016 and continue for about a year. Other than the science area, most of the work would have minimal impact on classrooms, Groves said. If classes are affected, adjustments will be made to limit disruptions.

Absentee ballots are available at the district clerk's office between the hours of 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. The district clerk must receive the completed applications at least seven days before the vote and must receive completed ballots before 8 p.m. on Dec. 9.