Schoharie school district residents could be voting in December on a $2.2 million building project that should not have an impact on local taxes.
Board members reviewed the project last week and could approve the plan next month and hold a vote on December 14.
Most of the items in the proposed project were deemed as necessary and are health and safety related.
The district has to have a public vote on an asbestos abatement project and officials are looking to combine that with other improvements or upgrades, Superintendent Brian Sherman said.
Currently, the project totals $2,212,600. If approved, SCS get back 83.3 percent in state aid, of $1.8 million and the remainder, about $369,000, would come from the district’s capital reserve fund.
The project could include:
• Upgrades to the fire alarm system in the high school, as well as to electrical and public address system at a cost of $227,500.
The fire alarm system in a portion of the high school is outdated, the architect told board members.
• Wiring and network infrastructure work for computer technology district-wide at a cost of $639,000. Currently, the district cannot add more computers, Mr. Sherman said.
• Replacement of the bus garage and buildings and grounds building roof at a cost of $182,000.
• Replacement of the exterior doors of the high school at a cost of $156,000. There are seven or eight sets of doors that have to be replaced, including those in the front which are expensive because they have to match the historic look of the building.
• Improvements and replacement of some of the skylights in the high school library addition at a cost of $130,000. About two-third of the skylights will be replaced with insulated models.
• Improvements to the campus including resurfacing of the tennis courts and additional paving of the parking lots at a cost of $97,500.
The additional paving would be in the upper lot by the soccer field.
• Asbestos abatement in the high school boiler room at a cost of $455,000.
• Clock system upgrade at a cost of $39,000.
• High school bathroom renovations at a cost of $286,000.
Five bathrooms will be renovated and made wheelchair accessible.
Items initially discussed but not included in the latest proposal were storage space, the fitness center that was removed from the EXCEL project, and the bathrooms that would be built inside the back entrance to the elementary school that could be opened to the public during outside athletic events.
If approved the asbestos work will be done in the spring of 2011 with no disruption to classes and the other work will be started next spring with the bulk of the work coming in the summer of 2011 and 2012.
The architect said it is an excellent climate for bidding and bond rates are also low.
Mr. Sherman noted that many of the items in the proposed project were also on the 2001 building survey’s “to do” list but were not done and “we’re suffering for it.”
Some items have been removed from the initial list for the proposed project including soundproofing for the 1952 gym in the elementary school.
Board members asked about this work and costs for the soundproofing and ventilation work in the gym may be available for the next board meeting.
There is $500,000 in the capital reserve fund. State aid and use of the funds should leave no impact on local taxpayers.
“There would be little, if any, impact on the local property taxes,” it said in an overview of the project.
Board members are expected to discuss the project again at their October 6 meeting and could approve it at their October 20 meeting. A public hearing could be held on December 1 and the vote could be December 14.
The timeline is flexible, board President Chris Spies said, “but ambitious.”