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Got questions about the Feb. 8 bond vote? Find the answers
here
On Feb. 8, 2007, district residents
approved a $24.9 million bond to do work at
Kingsborough, McNab, and Meco elementary schools that was
not done under the $60.3 million capital project residents
approved in 2004, as well as additional work at the
high school.
Because we recognize many residents have questions, we are providing the following information that we
hope will explain why the Board of Education has presented
this proposal. Additional questions are welcome and will
be added to the top of the following list in the order
they are received. Please check back for more
information as it becomes available. Please review all of
the questions and answers already posted to ensure your
question is not similar to one that has already been
answered. You can visit the Q&A page from the 2004 Capital
Project by clicking here.
You may submit questions by
clicking here.
New questions - updated Jan. 10, 2007
Is
the EXCEL aid available to anyone?
EXCEL Aid is
available to school districts to help cover the local
share of approved building projects. EXCEL is a new state
program created to provide additional funding for certain
types of school construction projects. EXCEL aid was
developed in response to the Campaign for Fiscal Equity
lawsuit, which dealt with school funding. In order for a
project to be EXCEL aidable, at least 75 percent of the
project must meet five state requirements. The project
must address accessibility, energy, health and safety,
school expansion or technology. The proposed Gloversville
project meets those criteria.
Is the EXCEL money guaranteed?
Yes. The
EXCEL aid is budgeted for all of the schools in the state
that meet the requirements for the aid. We’ve been told
that all districts in the area have planned projects to
take advantage of the EXCEL aid because it may be a
one-time deal.
Will the state give us less operating aid because we are
getting so much building aid?
No. Those
aids are two separate funding sources in the state budget.
Neither affects the other.
How did the district create its list of capital
improvement projects?
The state
requires school districts to develop a long-range
facilities plan that defines the condition of facilities
and their maintenance, including any improvements,
replacements or renovations that will need to be made
within five years. In 2003, while the district was
considering plans for a building and
grounds/transportation facility, district officials
developed a long-range plan with help from architects at
Collins & Scoville. The plan is available to the public at
the district offices.
Why did the district do the Transportation Facility first
if the schools need so much work?
The
Transportation Facility was always first in the district
plans. In fact, the work at the schools was identified
after plans for the Transportation Facility were already
underway. The combined facility was needed because the
district would see immediate savings as a result of
creating one facility that housed all of its building,
grounds, and transportations services.
Prior to this year the district paid to transport buses to
Caroga Lake for maintenance and repairs. The district also
paid to rent Darling Field for bus storage. Buses were
driven to Johnstown for refueling, and bus drivers were
being paid to warm up, fuel and clean the buses. None of
those expenses was aidable because the district did not
have a central facility. Transporting the buses back and
forth to Caroga Lake for maintenance put between 20,000
and 25,000 unaidable miles on the buses each year.
The lease for the Caroga Lake facility was expiring and
the district was unable to find another facility to lease.
From the beginning, the plans for the facility anticipated
that cost savings would be used to offset any additional
costs associated with the Transportation Facility. As soon
as the facility opened, the district began to receive
state aid on 90 percent of the operating costs for the
Transportation Facility. Additionally, the reduced
mileage, wear and tear on the buses, and boost in
operations efficiencies should more than make up for
potential increases in heating and electric costs.
Is it true the district is paying 330 percent more for
electricity at the bus garage?
No. The
facility is brand new, there is no previous cost for
comparison. Energy costs nationwide have skyrocketed in
recent years, and the district now has a facility that
requires power, rather than the rented trailer at Darling
Field. Therefore, the utility cost has increased. However,
90 percent of all of the operating costs for the new
facility are reimbursed by the state.
At the high school in particular, and anywhere in the
district where we have expanded our
facilities, doesn’t more space mean more maintenance
and staffing costs?
Not necessarily. Teaching staff is only increased as
programming and enrollment needs require. Expanding our
buildings has no impact on the budget for teaching staff
requirements. Maintenance costs should be offset by the
savings the district will see as a result of upgrading
building systems, such as by replacing heating and
plumbing units that are costly to repair, and by replacing
inefficient windows and doors with more efficient
versions. The district anticipates a trade-off between
maintenance costs and maintenance savings.
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How will the district pay for the proposed $24.9 million
bond?
Financing for the
project will come through a number of revenue sources:
-
Remaining funds
from the $60.3 million capital project approved by
voters in 2004.
-
State Building Aid
-
EXCEL Aid
(Expanding our Children's Education & Learning)
-
Debt Service
Reserve Fund
-
Money the
district already has set aside to pay debts. The
district invests money it receives for capital work,
and that interest is transferred from the debt
service reserve fund to the general operating fund
to help cover the local share of the building
project.
-
There will be
approximately $2.5 million in reserve by the end of
the fiscal year (June 30, 2007). By using
approximately $1.6 million of the debt service
reserve, the district would be able to pay the local
share of the proposed project without raising taxes.
-
Debt service
reserve funds can only be used to pay debts.
-
Operating cost
savings
The district will
not raise school taxes to pay for the proposed project.
Will my local taxes go up?
No. The district will pay for the proposed project using
a combination of state building aid, EXCEL aid, and some
of the money the district already has set aside that can only be
used for paying off debts.
Will my state taxes go up?
No. State building aid is money that is reserved in the
state budget every year to help schools pay for
construction. All state taxpayers contribute to the
reserve. State legislators determine the amount of state
building aid available to each school district. If the
proposed capital project is approved, Gloversville will
get its share of the state building aid. If it is not
approved, Gloversville residents will still pay into the
reserve, but this tax money will instead pay for work
done at other school districts across the state, from Long Island to
Buffalo.
Why does the district need a
super majority for approval of this project?
As a “Small City School District,” Gloversville has a
debt limit that is calculated by a formula set by the
state Legislature. The district is currently exceeding
its debt limit. To exceed the debt limit, approval by a
60 percent majority of voter is required, as well as
approval by the State Comptroller’s Office and the State
Education Department.
Will the Board of Education ask
for more money if construction costs go up again?
No. The three elementary schools that are included in
this proposal, Kingsborough, McNab, and Meco, will be
renovated first under this proposed capital project. The
additional work at the high school will begin later.
Also, 12 percent of the capital project budget would be
set aside as a contingency fund to offset any
unanticipated expenses. (The 2004 project included only
3 percent in contingency.) The school board will
eliminate work from the project if costs exceed that
contingency. The board will not seek another vote to
complete the work they are now proposing.
What if we do nothing?
If we don’t do anything, the building problems won’t go
away, and they could cost more to fix in the future.
Some of the problems may get worse. Postponing the
renovations could result in emergency repairs that would
need to be paid for out of the district’s annual
operating budget, which directly affects local taxes
each year.
Why aren’t our buildings good
enough for today’s students?
Educational programs are quite different today than they
were when the district’s buildings were designed and
built. For example, today’s classrooms have computers
and all school buildings have computer labs. Additionally, many
students with disabilities were not educated in their
home schools as they are now. Special education programs
require space. Finally, graduation requirements today
demand that students take many more classes and labs
than they did in the past. More classes require more
classroom space.
Why do our buildings need so
much work?
Much of the proposed project would address the repairs
and upgrades needed to keep buildings that are between
40 and 75 years old structurally sound. The buildings
have been well-maintained over the years, but some
systems – such as plumbing and heating – are wearing out
and can no longer be repaired. Additionally, the older
windows and doors are not as energy efficient as today’s
models. Replacing windows and doors should help to
contain energy costs, as well as provide more natural
light for students and staff.
Why do more work at the high
school?
The funding available to the district at this time makes
it possible to do more work not only at the high school,
but at Kingsborough, McNab and Meco as well, without
having to ask residents to pay more in taxes to get the
work done. The question could also be asked, “Why stop
now?” The work is needed and the amount of funding
available now may not be available in the future.
Who will benefit from the high
school work, and why wasn’t this work done before?
Every district student will attend Gloversville High
School if they continue to reside in the district;
therefore, the additional improvements at the high
school have the potential of affecting all students.
All of the proposed
work included in this project was identified in the
district’s 2003 Long-range Facilities Plan, a
state-mandated document that was developed with help
from architects at Collins + Scoville. Some of that work
was trimmed from the 2004 Capital Project in an effort
to contain costs. But when the Board of Education
learned it was eligible for another $24 million in state
building aid, the additional work was included in the
new proposal.
What specifically is proposed
at the high school?
Existing building systems:
-
Recoat existing
foam roofs
-
Refurbish
auditorium seating
-
Replace auditorium
carpet
New physical
education complex/gymnasium:
-
Three-station
gymnasium
-
Drop curtains
between gym stations
-
Bleacher seating
for 1,200 people
-
P.E. locker rooms
-
Team locker rooms
-
Simulated running
track (corridor around the gym)
-
Expanded fitness
center
-
Coaches offices
-
Officials’
locker/changing room
-
Media room
-
Gym lobby, entrance
and vestibules
-
Concession stand
-
Ticket booth
-
Public restrooms
-
Display cabinets
If the high school gymnasium is
structurally sound, why do we need to reconstruct it?
While the high school gymnasium is essentially sound –
except for a leaking roof and some outdated plumbing –
it is neither large enough, nor designed for
today’s programming needs. The separate physical
education stations cannot be combined into one larger
station, and the main gym
cannot accommodate seating the entire student body.
Physical education curriculum now emphasizes wellness
and learning “lifetime” fitness techniques, such as
weight lifting and aerobic activities that do not fill
well in the current layout of the P.E. spaces.
Modifications to the locker room for more storage and a
girls’ team room would be difficult in the existing
area.
Renovations would
make the spaces look much nicer, and would provide new
lighting, heating, plumbing, and ventilation systems,
but the layout would not change. Thus, program needs
would still not be addressed.
Reconstruction, on
the other hand, would enable a more efficient layout,
with space for expanded storage, offices, fitness and
seating. The main gym would have a seating capacity for
1,200 spectators or the full student body at once. And,
all three areas of the new gym could be used as
separate teaching stations or combined into one large
facility. Either way, each area could be viewed from the
main gym or the corridor, for added supervision and
security.
The corridor running track would be within the confines
of the Physical Education Department instead of through
the main corridors of the building, where people are
walking.
Why not spread the work out
over more time?
The combination of
state aid and other monies that are available to the
district at this time may not be available in the
future. Additionally, the cost of construction materials
may also increase, meaning future work could cost much
more to do than it does now. Postponing work could mean
unforeseen damages to buildings that could have been
prevented by renovating systems now. The district Board of Education has been
entrusted with the fiscal responsibility of maximizing
resources in order to meet education needs and protect
community’s assets without creating an undue tax burden
for residents. It would be
irresponsible not to take advantage of this opportunity
while it is available.
Am I eligible to vote?
Any person who is at least 18 years old and has lived in
the district for at least 30 days prior to the vote is
eligible if he or she registers with either the county
or with the school district. There will be a district
registration day on January 22 from 4 to 8 p.m. at
Boulevard Elementary School for those who are not
registered to vote in a regular election and would like
to register only for school elections.
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