The Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk Board of Education unanimously approved a $15 million capital project proposal at the November 9, 2022 Board of Education Meeting. The referendum for this proposition will be put before voters on Monday, January 9, from 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. If approved by the voters, this project will have a positive impact on every facility by addressing aging infrastructure and providing important safety upgrades in and around our buildings. “Our campuses are a significant investment and an integral part of this entire community,” said the Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Brian Bailey. “In addition to hosting classes for students, our facilities host learning through adult and continuing education and bring our community together through interscholastic athletics, concerts, and awards ceremonies. We must continue to be good stewards of this investment, address those areas most in need of improvement, increase safety for staff and students, and look toward the future of RCS.”
The $15,026,250 proposition includes updates to all of our school campuses based on the recommendations of the Building Condition Survey. The New York State Education Department requires schools to complete a Building Condition Survey in collaboration with a licensed architect or engineer every five years. The survey, completed during the 20-21 school year, identified a number of immediate repairs/replacements that need to be made in order to maintain our school facilities. There are also preventative elements within the proposed plan. A district Facilities Planning Committee reviewed these plans along with information about former projects, a community survey, and future educational programs.
The items covered by this project focus on increased safety and security measures in addition to improving the general conditions of our campuses. The project includes, but is not limited to:
- Updating our air handling systems in every classroom
- Repaving areas on all of our campuses and improving outdoor lighting
- Updates to the aquatics center
- Replacement of hot water heaters at the middle school, PBC, and AWB
- Replacement of interior doors at the middle and high schools
- Removal of asbestos floor tiles
- Replacement of fire suppression systems at our elementary schools
- Improvements to our practice athletic fields
- Repairs to the transportation parking lots
- And much more
If voters approve the project on January 9, 2023, the district would be reimbursed for approximately 72% of the total project cost through state building aid. The capital project proposition authorizes the district to use $5.1 million from our capital reserve fund to pay for this project. The remaining cost would be financed through bonds for a 15-year period. The estimated annual cost to our taxpayers will be $0.05 per $1,000 of true home value. This will equate to $5 per year for a home with a true value of $100,000.
The district will be holding a community information night from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 4, in the High School Auditorium. All community members are welcome to attend! The event will also be live-streamed on our RCS YouTube Channel.
Leading up to the January 9 vote, we invite you to access updates and more information by visiting our Capital Improvement Project website (click here).
VOTING INFORMATION
Monday, January 9, 2023
1:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
RCS High School Main Gym
2025 US Route 9W
Ravena, NY 12143
Voting will be held in our High School Main Gym which is most easily accessible from our Rt. 101 entrance, which is located at the rear of the Middle School/High School Campus.
Click here for a map of the voting location and parking!