Reply With QuoteThanks Lee for providing all of us the details regarding the capital improvement budget plan.
At the budget work session Monday night, Lancaster Central School District (LCSD) reviewed the $57.3 capital project plan they will be proposing to the public and putting up for bond resolution approval.
Superintendent Dr. Michael Vallely declared that the district had put in thousands of hours in coming up with a master plan that would fit the needs of the district while maximizing state aid (80%), incorporating the Lancaster Educational and Alumni Foundation (LEAF) to contribute $1 million to offset the taxpayers local share, and to meld all this together and paying off the costs to the district over the next 15 years.
Project agenda
There are four parts to the capital project, the biggest part being the building condition survey. Since 2000 the state has required schools to hire an architect and look at every building the district owns – carpets, ceiling, structure, roof, windows, etc. (85 items). All 11 LCSD buildings were inspected and evaluated. Of the 2650 items looked at, 650 of them have a cost of approximately $60 million. The needs of the district were prioritized and some of those building costs are seven to ten years out and will cost $27.31 million to update and upgrade to protect the districts investment in buildings.
High School – Room HVAC’s (from pneumatic to digital controls), boilers, unit ventilators, electrical distribution systems, lights, high school locker renovations, repaving and grading etc. The school building dates back to 1956.
New transportation building - $9.79 million
When the current transportation building was examined it was determined that it needed $3 million in work. The building was built in 1958 and the bus garage is no longer a safe place. It is undersized and only has two lifts and they need to be replaced. The concrete is cracking around the lifts and the area to remove tires and work safely is also undersized.
They are proposing relocating the bus facilities to a site along Walden Avenue, adjacent (west) to the Eastport Commerce site. The district owns 30 acres of property; purchased in 1956 for $15,000; much safer environment than current location; going from 12,000 square feet to 17,000 square feet.
Looking at the buildings and transportation costs, they make up 75% of the project. These two items are what the building condition survey focuses on. They are the nuts and bolts of the project.
High School Building Utilization improvements - $10.81 million
These include expansion and innovative reconfigurations – expansions and reconfigurations which make the project eligible for state aid (80%).
The high school track is twenty-seven (27) years old. It has been resurfaced twice. It has overall structural failures. Plan is to remove it and replace it with an eight land straight away.
Removing the bus garage opens up space to install toilets for the football stadium which will eliminate the porta-johns. Added space allows for storage and concession stand improvements.
Currently there is no formal drop off area at the high school. One will be constructed.
A black box theater will be put in Java gym. The black box theater is a multi-use facility that can be used for the Academy of Performing Arts, dinner theater, recitals, can be used as a rehearsal place for bands, choirs, orchestras, dance and drama – it provides a better performance venue and eliminates using the cafeteria and other locations that are in use for practice purposes – allows for flexibility. There will be pull-down bleacher seats that can accommodate 200 attendees for smaller events. A glass walled art gallery alongside the black box theater is also proposed.
The south Java gym will be expanded and space that was not utilized will create a gym that will be mapped out to allow for two areas accommodating, wrestling, gymnastics, basketball, baseball practice, lacrosse, other.
The concept proposed for the high school library is the removal of book shelves and the construction of glass conference rooms.
Hillview Elementary – parking areas, drainage, pneumatic to digital controls.
John Scioli Elementary – parking
Middle School – HVAC controls.
Total project cost - $49.62 million; 80% of the cost covered by state aid
If the Lancaster Educational and Alumni Foundation (LEAF) come through with the million dollars promised in revenue (which would take care of the local share), only then would the following project enhancements be authorized to be included in the districts aforementioned projects:
Field-house expansion - $1.77 million
The first major piece is adding 66 feet by 150 feet (10,000 square feet). In that space will be a bleacher area, storage zone under the bleachers, ability to establish a regulation indoor track, and ability to now extend parking correspondently.
Turf Field - $3.90 million
The second major piece is the turf field – with bleachers, with lights that can be used by the marching band, the football team, soccer, lacrosse; a multi-use space.
This portion of the project, the turf field and minor renovations to the school will only become part of the project if LEAF raises $1 million to offset the local share. 80% of this portion of the project would be available for state aid.
Total project cost - $7.69 million.
Debt Service – Paying off the bond – Jamie Phillips
As we saw in reviewing the debt service budget earlier, you saw the 2015-16 expenditures; the principal and interest payments due from previous capital projects. When we look at the revenue side of the budget, debt service expenditures are offset with state building aid on those projects and use of the district's debt service reserve.
Currently, without factoring in the reserves, the current local share of debt service (expenditures minus state aid) is on average is $1.2 million.
The 2015 proposed project is not factored in to the 2015-16 budget. Debt service expenditures and state aid revenue from any future projects would be added to the budget only after the project is approved by voters and the district begins construction. For the 2015 proposed project, that would likely be the 2016-17 school year budget at the earliest.
By adding the 2015 project to the districts debt service schedule, based on current principal and interest payments being paid off and state building aid flow, by adding in premiums and interest on the proposed 2015 project, there would only be a couple of years within the next 15 years that the district would exceed that current local share level of $1.2 million and that would be mitigated by increased use of reserves in those years.
So in actuality with a $57.3 million dollar project we can say that there is no additional tax impact over the next 15 years – no tax increase to the residents because of this proposed project.
Superintendent Vallely: The $49 million project piece, zero percent tax increase. The second piece, the $7.69 million project doesn’t have to happen at all, but if it does zero percent tax increase as well.
Other
The general consensus of administration and the BOE is that while some projects may appear to be a wish list and beyond financial reason and responsibility, these projects become real and attainable as space becomes available from the initial projects. By capitalizing them state aid becomes available and picks up 80% of the costs. Whereas the debt service becomes manageable as well, some projects that will have to be taken on later would have to be funded using LCSD operating funds.
Dates of original LCSD buildings:
Central Ave 1951
Como Park 1951
Court Street 1955
Hillview 1947
John A. Sciole 1964
William St 1998
LMS 1922
LHS 1956
Transportation 1956
DO/Maintenance facility 1924
The HVAC work noted in the 2015 project presentation is not air conditioning. It is to replace the classroom air handling units and the building air handling systems. The air handling units regulate air flow in the classrooms-bring in fresh outside air and cycle inside air to the outside. It is not a cooling unit by any means! Currently, there is air conditioning in some areas of the school buildings, as follows:
High School: Aud, Room 122, 3 band rooms, cafeteria, Library, I/S dept, senior room, some computer labs, and various small offices.
LMS: Aud, Cafeteria, nurse’s office, band room stage area, main office area, some computer labs
William Street: Cafeteria, Library, Main office, B commons, D commons, new addition commons, existing music suite, nurses office.
Elementary schools: main office spaces
The existing AC is for public gathering/large spaces for the most part. To reiterate, the HVAC work in the project is not air conditioning or cooling, it is for air flow.
Thanks Lee for providing all of us the details regarding the capital improvement budget plan.
Georgia L Schlager
And you are ok with all the spending?Originally Posted by gorja
Excellent report by Buffalo News reporter Karen Robinson on the Lancaster capital project in todays paper edition titled: Lancaster capital plan timing seen as 'perfect'.
Along with project description it gives the why now and how the project will be funded.
Actually, I am to a point. Repairs and upgrades are part of life at home or school. If it can be done at a lower cost (low interest rate), it' better now than later. If LEAF can't come up with the money for the local share for the athletic stuff, then "NO" to the turf field and field house expansion. Keep hearing reported the health hazards of a turf field. Hope this item was fully researched and the district can say to parents and students, there are no cancer risks with the turf.
Georgia L Schlager
I like your answer. I would like to add the following:
Any expenditure that maintains/improves our buildings where safety is enhanced and upgrades occur to the electrical system that provides for today’s technology world is well spent.
Part 1 of the $49.6 million plan is well designed, money well spent and deserves voter approval. It is unfortunate that the district has to sell it as no cost to the taxpayer as the state picks up 80% of the cost, they are well within bonding limits, the interest rates are low and they are in a position to take the debt load on.
The ‘no tax increase’ to the resident is disingenuous as we are the state. But this is the way the system works and we would be foolish not to partake of it. This is the same mantra the town uses every time it gets a grant – if we didn’t take and use the money someone else would.
Considering taxpayers have to fund entitlements and education for illegal immigrants, have to pay for generous public sector pensions (many residents don’t have themselves), where retired NYS teachers don’t pay state income tax if they continue to reside in the state, etc, I am of the mind that I want my school district to get every dime it can to continue giving every child an opportunity for the best education available and as long as the district continues to scholastically improve; as it has been doing.
I would like to see retired teacher pensions taxed and Condominium Law 339-y reformed where homeowners do not get a property school tax reduction based on the fact that such communities with Associations are inhabited by empty nesters that don’t have children attending school. DUH, there are a great number of families that don’t have children attending school (or never had children) who get no tax breaks.
Public schools have to accept children with special needs and have different discipline regulations. Lancaster is already a great school. Why not make it better; so good that every family without the means to spend $10,000 to $12,000 to send their children to a private school will not feel shortchanged.
As for the $7.69 million LEAF project, the district asking the organization to come up with $1 million for it to happen is quite generous considering the district’s portion of the funding would be $1.38 million. With the removal of the bus garage other changes become possible, the dominos fall right to make this project the right thing to do at the right time and cost; again, my opinion.
I am surprised to find no negative opinions and comments on this thread as there is much background noise on the project – especially on the new transportation facility.
Do families foot the bill for football uniforms etc.? If not, they should pay for all uniforms and equipment associated with sports, clubs etc. After all, they get tax breaks for having children.
The ones creating the demand are the ones who get the breaks. The system is upside down.
A historian once told me that prior to education becoming a right in New York (around 1907 I think) people paid for their kids to attend school. Orphans and kids from poor families went to school via the charity of others. If that system was still in place I wonder how much clamor there would be for sports.
First off I have to agree with you that the system is perverted, imperfect and subjected to abuse.
One thing that this district has going for it is the budget work sessions where residents are able to participate and have input on what they want in or cut from the budget. At the recent budget work session only two residents attended.
What the district also has going for it is Jamie Phillips, Asst. Superintendent for Business & Support Services. Ms. Phillips presents the great majority of the budget line items and eagerly informs/explains to attendees any questions and concerns that they may express.
No one is enamored, or could be, with every spending item in the budget; and that includes me. But when one attends the budget work sessions and gets to see where 85% of the budget is mandated and gets to understand the complexity and intertwining of how the other 15% is spent, they come to understand why cutting out some things is not worth the bang for the buck.
You mention athletics as being unessential. I disagree. Athletic participation not only teaches teamwork, keeps kids off the streets and doing something positive, rounds their social education, even makes kids who dislike school have a purpose to come to school, and costs the school district less than 1% of the budget. I feel the same about music, theater, and the arts.
I want to see children attending Lancaster schools having the best opportunity to learn, grow socially and achieve later in life; an opportunity for the majority of Lancaster children whose parents don’t have the means to send them to private schools.
Come to the budget work session meetings, see how your money is spent, tell them what you want cut and why.
Lastly, unlike the town budget all school budget proposals are voted on by the public. But to cast an uninformed vote is a disservice to either side.
I personally love paying 1500 per year on school taxes for vacant land where there are no children, or people, living.
Seriously, that’s all the information you can provide? What municipality? How many acres? What type of land is the vacant lot on? At current assessed school tax valuation in Lancaster you are being assessed around $90,000 for the land. That could imply you have anywhere from 2 acres to 15 acres of vacant property depending on location and type of land – developable or not.
Assessment value on vacant went up dramatically several years ago when the developers cajoled the town to raise property assessments so that those farming the land could not afford the increase and sold off to greedy developers.
Although your gripe is legitimate, it is less so than for property homeowners who cannot sell off the land to avoid taxation, haven’t had children attending schools in decades, or for home owners who never had children.
Life is not fair; the system sucks; now the state wants to provide more money for the education of children of illegal immigrants.
Yak talked about buying property in Elma. It must be town of Elma taxes with Lancaster school taxes.
Georgia L Schlager
People should understand with the turf field, it is not for the football team, it will be behind the current fieldhouse, where there is a soccer/lacrosse field. I think the disrtict should turf both the football field and soccer field. Both news articles have given out wrong information.... football will not be on this field at all. Talking with people from band, they alsio would like to have turf on football field because thier competitions are usually on football fields and spacing is done by football numbers and hashmarks. Lancaster has 5 football teams that play on that field, despite great efforts by the grounds crew, it is a disaster by nov. They should turf the football field and line it for multipurposes. Dont be short sited on this.... other sports could use the field too. Physical education classes can get kids outside alot longer in the fall and earlier in the spring .... go to Rochester and look at how many schools have turf... WNY is way way behind.
7 acres in Elma. Fortunately the town/county taxes are 1/3 of what they would be if it was located in Lancaster. I'm already fortunate enough to pay $3500/year for school taxes for my main residence in Lancaster.
On a humorous side note, Elma Town tax bills are printed on a standard 8.5 x 11" paper. Lancaster's has so many more tax lines that it requires a legal size of 8.5 x 14".
I checked out the Elma tax bills. I like that they put the Fire department service awards tax amount as a separate line item on the tax bill which wasn't much. At least, the taxpayers know what the tax was allocated for.
Georgia L Schlager
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