Residents in the Mohonasen Central School District will vote on a proposed $48 million capital project on Tuesday, May 16.
If approved by voters, the project will address three areas: health and safety; academic and programmatic improvements; and infrastructure upgrades. Upgrades were identified during a building condition survey the district completed in 2020. Each school will see major infrastructure upgrades and will be provided preventative maintenance to make sure the schools are in top condition for students and staff.
In addition to the building condition survey the District received feedback from various staff members regarding other potential academic enhancements. Each of the proposed items was prioritized and assigned cost estimates to determine the final budget and scope of the project.
Project budget breakdown:
- Health and Safety – $4,000,000
- Academic & Programmatic Improvements – $7,000,000
- End of Service Life – $37,000,000
- Total budget projection – $48,000,000
Costs for the health and safety section of the proposed project are estimated to be $4 million. Plans call for ensuring ADA-compliant grounds, reconfiguring of the high school’s main entrance for a more secure entry, turf field lighting replacement, adding additional parking areas and sidewalks, and standby generators, among other items.
The academic and programmatic improvements will cost an estimated $7 million, and include classroom, library and cafeteria renovations. District-wide internal network upgrades will also be implemented to provide students and staff with fast, reliable technology.
The bulk of the proposed project, an estimated $37 million, updates infrastructure and end-of-service-life maintenance. End-of-service-life pertains to making fixes to structural objects before the item fails.
“We try to anticipate how long something is going to last and address it before it becomes an issue,” said Greg Klokiw, an engineer with CSArch, the architectural firm retained by the district for the project.
The infrastructure plans include new roofing, pavement, and sidewalks at each of the four main buildings. Doors and windows will be replaced around the district to improve safety. Sections of the high school roof, installed in 1997, are also scheduled for repairs. Each building will also see older mechanical equipment replaced and LED hallway lighting installed.
“This capital project is really about taking care of what we have. There is no fluff in the proposed project,” said Superintendent Shannon Shine. “As homeowners understand well, taking care of your property and engaging in preventative maintenance is a must and can avoid more costly repairs down the road. We are talking about roofs, HVAC, plumbing, pavement and replacement of items that are decades old.”
If approved, construction on the project would begin in 2025.
The projected impact on taxpayers for this project is expected to be low, with a maximum increase of less than $10 per year for six years on a home valued at $150,000, starting in the 2025-26 school year. The reason for the low projected impact is based on multiple factors. First, the District has a building aid ratio, the percentage of cost that is directly reimbursed through state aid, of over 83%. This means that more than 80% of the cost of the overall project will be funded directly through state aid.
The second factor is that there will be older projects with retiring debt in 2025-26 and 2027-28. Older project debt that falls off and is replaced with new debt means that there are no tax increases so long as the amount of new debt remains the same or lower than the old debt. For new debt that goes beyond the amount of debt that is falling off, the District is also able to use fund balance and reserves to limit the annual impact on taxpayers, with the remaining impact being the $10 per year mentioned above. The application of reserve funds includes using money currently in the District’s Debt Service Fund and in the Tax Reduction Reserve, which was funded by the sale of the Remsen Street property in 2021.
The scope of this project is based on the findings from the 2020 Building Conditions Survey performed by CSArch. Every five years, school districts are required by the New York State Education Department (NYSED) to complete a Building Condition Survey. The Building Condition Survey requires schools to contract with an architectural firm to identify all aspects of infrastructure including items in need of improvement.
Project scope by building:
High School
- Boilers, piping and pump replacements
- Roofing system replacement (1998 vintage)
- Internal data network upgrades
- Lighting replacement with LED and control system upgrades (partial)
- Corridor ceiling replacement (partial)
- Replace deteriorated storm water piping
- Pavement and sidewalk reconstruction
- Remove underground fuel oil storage tank
- Add dry wells for canopy roof drainage, repair canopy
- Reconfigure main entrance security and attendance offices
- Renovate classroom into Media Arts Studio
- Renovate Library
- Reconfigure serving lines and renovate cafeteria finishes
- Add wall to secure walk-in cooler/freezer
- Add a pickleball court
- Tennis court reconstruction
- Gym ceiling replacement
- Refinish gym floor
Middle School
- Boiler replacement
- Provide ADA compliant entry to Nurse’s corridor entrance
- Improve turf field access for ADA compliance (sidewalks)
- Provide additional turf field and ADA parking
- Provide standby generator for data/security panels and kitchen refrigeration
- Pavement and sidewalk reconstruction
- Reconstruct loading dock stairs
- Lighting replacement with LED and control system upgrades
- Classroom ceiling and lighting replacement (partial)
- Classroom floor material replacement
- Interior door replacement
- Replace basketball hoops and backboard assemblies in gym
- Provide additional site lighting along roadway
- Provide seamless epoxy floor finish in public bathrooms to improve cleanability
- Replace door keying system
- Gymnasium bleacher replacement
- Track resurfacing
- Replace home and visitor grandstands at turf field
- Replace press box at turf field
- Replace turf field lighting
Pinewood
- Roofing system replacement (1998 and 2005 vintage)
- Pavement and sidewalk reconstruction
- Lighting replacement with LED and control system upgrades
- Interior door replacement
- Mechanical system improvements- replace unit ventilators and add powered exhaust fans
- Plumbing supply piping replacement
- Plumbing waste piping replacement
- Provide additional parking areas
- Provide cooling for the kitchen
- Provide seamless epoxy floor finish in public bathrooms to improve cleanability
- Provide exterior public address speakers
- Data closet/infrastructure improvements
Bradt
- Pavement and sidewalk reconstruction
- Exterior door replacement at A,B,C,D,E wings
- Provide municipal sewer connection to replace septic
- Window replacement (1975 vintage)
- Mechanical equipment replacement – air handling units, energy recovery units, unit ventilators
- Lighting replacement with LED and control system upgrades
- Replace casework and sink units in classrooms
- Add sidewalk from Hamburg Street to receiving/cafeteria parking area
- Add roof fall protection at mechanical equipment
- Provide additional parking areas
- Provide seamless epoxy floor finish in public bathrooms to improve cleanability
- Door hardware replacement
- Data closet/infrastructure improvements
- Remove underground fuel oil storage tank
- Provide standby generator for data/security closets
- Science Classroom renovations – replace finishes, lighting, provide sink
- Cafeteria renovations- improve lighting and acoustics to adjacent spaces and within cafeteria
- Create additional custodial storage
- Main Office renovations – expand open area, divide Principal’s office, replace finishes and lighting
- Replace corridor wall base