News

Rush to build: Local districts line up for state $$$

Posted September 17, 2007 11:00 pm

Jen Carpenter, Bob Clark and Rob Montana

The state education department coffers are open for business and area school districts are taking advantage of both state building aid and Expanding our Children's Education and Learning funds.

The result - should voters go along - will be a host of school building projects in the years to come.

The Hornell City School District is leading the way in the area in terms of the scope of a project. The district is looking at making major changes courtesy of a proposed $70 million project that would include realignment of grade levels, and additions and renovations at several of its schools. Hornell is eligible for around $1.46 million in EXCEL aid, with the majority of the remaining cost being picked up by the state.

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Superintendent George Kiley, who said the project is at 98 percent aidability presently, said the EXCEL aid would be used for changes at North Hornell Elementary School, since it would not qualify for as much state building aid.

"We're putting all of the EXCEL aid into North Hornell so we could get aid for the work up there," he said. "That building is the least aidable of all our facilities.

"EXCEL aid gives you the opportunity to take care of some of the building condition survey items without going to the taxpayer," Kiley added. "It's also something you don't have to have a vote for to use."

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There are some requirements, however, for use of the funds. Kiley said the work has to be called for in the district's building condition survey, and couldn't be used for, "say, a new artificial surface on a soccer field." He also said there is a deadline of 2008 to have the contracts issued, at least at this point.

"That may be extended," Kiley said. "Sometimes you get a project ready before then, so they may relax that a little bit."

While a vote isn't required for using just the EXCEL funds, Hornell's looking at a project much larger in scope than can be financed by that money. Therefore, the district does have to conduct a public vote, which is tentatively slated for Dec. 18.

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If that vote results in approval to go forward with the $70 million project, Kiley said he was unsure exactly when the work would be able to start.

"It all depends on how quickly the state turns that around and we can get the contracts issued," he said.

Hornell's last capital project - around $23.5 million - was completed just prior to Kiley's arrival in 2005.

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The attractiveness of EXCEL funds is likely why a number of area districts are rushing to get them done.

"They probably all had projects they were waiting to find money to fund," Kiley said. "EXCEL gives you a great way to do that.

"EXCEL probably came out of the state giving so much money for New York City schools to fix buildings," he added, "which is why we all probably are working to use the funds."

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New York City is still getting the major financial benefit, eligible for an allocation of $1.8 billion. Other districts eligible for larger amounts than the Southern Tier include Buffalo ($31.59 million), Rochester ($26.49 million), Syracuse ($17.04 million) and Yonkers ($18.54 million).

Hornell's $1.4 million maximum allocation leads the way locally, followed by the Canisteo-Greenwood Central School District, which is eligible for $780,554; Wayland-Cohocton ($561,125), Dansville ($518,504), Jasper-Troupsburg ($505,064), Avoca ($472,379), Alfred-Almond ($222,078), Canaseraga ($221,014) and Arkport ($196,441).

Other projects around the region:

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l Alfred-Almond Central School has proposed a $6.8 million capital project, with a public vote slated for Nov. 13. Superintendent Rich Nicol said it will deal with improved security at the main entrance at the high school and elementary wings, as well as renovating the science laboratories and kindergarten rooms, and continuing upgrades to the school's heating system.

"We're doing a number of infrastructure things," Nicol said.

The biggest part of the project, however, will be to change the access road, which tractor trailers use when making deliveries to the school.

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"We'll complete that road going all the way around the school, so large trucks won't have to back all the way in," Nicol said, adding a driver last week refused to back down the road to make a delivery, so school employees had to unload 90-pound boxes from the truck. "It's not a good situation. We've made due, but we can do better."

Another big part of the project, he said, is moving some of the athletic areas - tennis courts and softball field - up behind the school to where the baseball and soccer fields are located.

"We need to replace the septic system, which is right underneath the softball field," Nicol said. "That hasn't been significantly touched since it was installed in 1939."

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A-A will be using EXCEL aid on the project - the district is eligible to receive $222,078 - and Nicol said the impact on taxes will be less than 1 percent of its current tax rate of $21.21 per $1,000 of assessed value.

"One percent on $21, that's about 21 cents," he said, "and it's expected to be less than 1 percent on the tax rate."

If the project is approved by voters Nov. 13, it will take around 4-6 months to get the final specifications for the project delivered to the state Education Department for approval.

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"I understand the state Ed department is taking around 26 weeks or so for approval, so it would take to late into 2008 for that," Nicol said. "Then it would be a couple month to let contracts and award those, so it may be late spring or summer 2009 before we would start work."

The district is currently completing punch list items on its last capital project, which was approximately $3 million.

l The Arkport Central School District plans to use all of its EXCEL aid toward a new bus garage project, after an initial project was turned down earlier this year.

"They want to maximize their EXCEL aid," said Superintendent William Locke.

The first five year capital project facilities plan was generated in 2005, but was turned down by a public vote of 459 to 138.

"They want to start from scratch," Locke said.

Locke said the school will look at recommendations from the previous project to see what should be included in the plan and what should be taken out. He said the school is aiming for a spring presentation to the public.

The previous proposal, which included repairs to the school and a $2.7 million bus garage, would have cost $6.4 million. Locke said since then, it is estimated costs have increased 18 percent.

"The point is prices have gone up," he said.

The garage proposed before would have been used by the Village of Arkport, Town of Hornellsville, visiting nurses and the Steuben County Sheriff's department, in addition to the school district's buses.

Previous opponents of the proposal raised concern about the site of the bus garage, which would have been located on West Avenue. Development costs for that site would have included $140,000 to connect to Hornell's sewer system.

Locke said some renovations, such as those dealing with health and safety, are eligible for the program and others are not.

Arkport's last capital project was a boiler project in 2003 that cost $500,000.

l Avoca Central School District voters approved a $8.58 million capital project April 18, which will utilize $472,379 in EXCEL aid. The rest of the project is just 93-percent aidable, but will not result in a tax increase. The project will include new boilers and piping, wireless Internet, an electric sign, roof work, new windows, asbestos abatement and air conditioning for the library, computer labs and auditorium.

The district's last capital project - for $13.75 million - was approved in 2005, but construction has not yet started.

l Bath-Haverling Central School officials are in the final planning stages of a capital project proposal that could go before district voters in before the end of the year, according to school district Superintendent Marion Tunney.

The plan, with an estimated preliminary cost of $18 million, would be financed through a combination of state building aid and New York state EXCEL funds and have only a small impact on individual property taxes, Tunney said.

School board President William vonHagn said the new capital project would address some "antiquated, worn out" areas of the school campus, including old locker rooms in the new Middle School, that were not part of the district's 2001-2003 capital project. "A lot of these things were engineered out of that project to save money," vonHagn said.

l The Canisteo-Greenwood Central School District had a $9.2 million capital project approved by a 214-150 margin Feb. 6. The district is eligible for $780,554 in EXCEL aid, and the rest of the project is eligible for 98 percent aid. The estimated impact on taxpayers is $2-$20 per property.

The project will focus on 30 different areas, including keyless entry, computer upgrades, sprinkler systems, masonry repair, renovation of the bus garages, playground improvements and upgrading the athletic fields and seating areas.

l Dansville Central School District had a $3,325,000 project approved by a public vote in January. Superintendent Matthew McGarrity said the project will include updates in all four school buildings. He said the project will be primarily HVAC work, technology upgrades, safety and security camera improvements.

"That's the bulk of the project," he said.

The school's last capital project was finished in 2004. That project called for $28 million, which included renovations at the middle school and elementary school.

l The Keshequa Central School District had a $9,030,000 project approved in the March. The project is in the design development stage, and is in the third of five phases. The project will include renovations and health and safety upgrades, such as making roofs, windows and doors more energy efficient and making spaces more handicap accessible. Construction is expected to begin in the summer of 2008.

The district's last capital project was in 2000 to complete additions on the school.

l Wayland-Cohocton Central School District had a $5.7 million capital project approved by a 392-57 margin Feb. 13. The project includes upgrades for electrical and TV wiring, smartboards for classrooms, and upgrades to the heating and cooling system. The district also plans a $5.2 million renovation and expansion of its pool.

Wayland-Cohocton is eligible for $561,125 in EXCEL aid.

Two area districts are exploring capital projects:

l Canaseraga Central School District is eligible to receive $221,014 in EXCEL aid, and is exploring a capital project. The district's school board is slated to vote at its Sept. 27 meeting whether or not to contact architects to design a project and write a proposal to the state Education Department. If the board approves going forward, the district anticipates a vote on the project in the spring of 2008.

Canaseraga conducted its last capital project in 2001.

l The Jasper-Troupsburg Central School District is just in its planning stages, and doesn't have a list of items it would like to include, nor a price tag in mind. The district is, however, eligible for $505,064 in EXCEL aid. J-T's last capital project was in 2000.

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