Sunday, January 31, 2010

9 Days and Counting - What Can You Do To Help?

There are only 9 days till the Middle School vote! What can YOU to do HELP?

#1 Put out a lawn sign and/or help distribute lawn signs. Email NPMiddleSchoolYES@gmail.com for details.

#2 Host an impromptu gathering in order to tell your friends about the importance of voting YES!

#3 Send emails to your friends with links to our website and Facebook group, the district's webblog, the video of supporters, the Slice of New Paltz Q & A, the "History Lesson", and the latest Hinchey annoucement.

Our website: http://newpaltzmiddleschoolyes.blogspot.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/New-Paltz-Middle-School-YES/237960830099?ref=nf

District Webblog: http://npcsdms.edublogs.org/

Support Video: http://newpaltzmiddleschoolyes.blogspot.com/2010/01/middle-school-yes-pro-project-people.html

Slice of New Paltz Q & A: http://www.newpaltzliving.com/home/2009/12/31/qa-on-the-proposed-middle-school-renovation.html

History Lesson: http://newpaltzmiddleschoolyes.blogspot.com/2010/01/history-lesson.html

Hinchey/Solar Energy Consortium Announcement: http://newpaltzmiddleschoolyes.blogspot.com/2010/01/fabulous-news-tsec-application-to.html

#4 Attend and encourage your friends to attend the remaining presentations on the project:

Wednesday February 3 7:00 PM Board of Education Meeting at the High School
Thursday February 4 6:30 PM Tours of the Middle School & Presentation at
7:00 PM in the New Paltz Middle School Gym

#5 Put up a sign in your car or business window. Download sign here: http://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B1fDgRwvRVcqMjI2YWU0MGMtYzgxMS00ZjlmLTkzM2ItY2QwOTE0NDA0MjRj&hl=en

#6 Contribute money. Middle School YES! is collecting donations to help get the word out to voters about the importance of voting YES! on the bond. Checks should be made out to New Paltz Middle School YES! and mailed to this address: New Paltz Middle School YES! c/o Amy Mosbacher, 2 Woodland Drive, New Paltz, 12561

Saturday, January 30, 2010

How Much Will This Project Cost YOU?

The average cost for BOTH current and proposed debt over 20 years on the median valued home in the District ($297,700) will be $13.55 per month. If you are interested in the actual impact on YOUR OWN TAX BILL, we urge you to contact Rick Linden at 256-4010. He has been very responsive to our requests throughout our own fact finding process.

Peter Kaufman's Letter to the Editor 01/27/10: Be Educated for Education's Sake

Anyone who travels through New Paltz these days will no doubt see the signs-o-doom prophesizing a debt of $100 million dollars if we pass the resolution for the New Paltz Middle School renovations. One hundred million dollars is no doubt a lot of money. (Or is it...according to Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph E. Stiglitz, that's barely enough money to fund a little more than three hours of our government's war on terror. But I digress.) I think most of us would think twice about burdening current and future taxpayers with this debt. But as we pass by these signs, how many of us actually know where this figure came from and how it was calculated?

It's ironic that one of the main goals of education is to teach children to think critically, to analyze data and to learn how to make informed decisions after weighing various options. And yet, the opponents of the middle school renovation plan are hoping that the voters are un-critical, non-analytical, and un-informed. In effect they want us to be uneducated voters. Their signs-o-doom are classic examples of scare tactics, fear mongering and irresponsible propaganda that are intended to sway voters during these times of economic uncertainty.

With about two weeks left before the vote there is still plenty of time to get informed about this issue. Anyone who is reading the letters in the New Paltz Times is at least intrigued to hear what the community is saying. Having read all of the articles, all of the letters and all of the pro and con websites, it is undoubtedly clear to me that now is the time to renovate the New Paltz Middle School. After weighing all of the information presented for and against the resolution, I find the arguments favoring renovation to be the most plausible, the most credible and the most convincing. For the sake of our children and our community please vote YES on Feb. 9, 2010.

Peter Kaufman
New Paltz

Elise Gold's Letter to the Editor 01/27/10: Proposed Plan Makes Sense

Applause to the New Paltz Board of Education, Maria Rice and her administration for proposing such a well thought-out plan to the New Paltz community for the renovation of our middle school. Praise for the ongoing information sharing of information via community forums, coffee houses, Board of Ed meetings, PTA meetings, newsletters and blog on the district's website. I honor their process, as well as the product that is being proposed.

So many valuable points have been expressed on these pages. At this time, I'd like to respond to an option proposed that has to do with preserving the existing building in its entirety and making it more energy efficient. The thought was to increase efficiency by upgrading the windows and adding solar panels, etc. While this may seem like a reasonable option, I have walked in the footsteps that my son walks each day when going from one class to another.

As parents, we walk the middle school maze on open house night when visiting the teachers in their respective classrooms. For instance, in order to go from French class (in the 1966 addition) to social studies (in the original 1930 wing), a student needs to walk down a hall, down the ramp, down another hall, up a flight of stairs, down another hall, down another hall then up two flights of stairs in order to finally get to his/her destination. This journey needs to occur in four minutes. The band room is surrounded on all sides by academic classrooms making it hard for students to concentrate while hearing rhythms and music pouring through the band room walls. The cafeteria cannot accommodate the student body sufficiently, which cuts down on the students' meal time. The lunch period is scheduled for 40 minutes, yet each lunch period is divided in two 20-minute sessions -- while half of the group is having lunch in the cramped quarters, the other half is at recess. This makes for rushed eating, which is not conducive to a healthy learning environment. Part of the space is used for the district-wide food preparation area. These are just a few reasons why simply turning the existing building into a greener model doesn't make sense.

The proposed plan has academic classrooms for each grade level "housed" together. Students travel from room to room seamlessly. A multipurpose room is part of each grade level central to their academic rooms. The houses are designed to be away from the band room and other special classes. The design is barrier free, allowing all students the right and ability to get from class to class. With the proposed design, the cafeteria would not serve the same role it does now. It would only have serving capacity and not be preparing food for the entire district. This would allow for more dining space. Given the larger capacity, schedule changes could accommodate longer lunches.

Please join me in voting yes on Feb. 9 for the renovations that the Board of Education has proposed on the middle school.

Elise Gold
Gardiner

Terence Ward's Letter to the Editor 01/27/10: Don't Allow Ignorance to Cast a Vote

I'm trying to read between the lines of the message being sent by those who are opposed to renovating the New Paltz Middle School.

It's going to cost us far too much money, they say. They say it with full-page ads in the New Paltz Times (which run $800, I've heard) and they say it with mass-produced lawn signs. The supporters are sticking to writing letters and repainting their old signs.

They say it with a lot of landlords who are paying taxes that will not directly benefit them or their children. Many of the supporters have children in the school system (although some of us are supporting it because it benefits the community, which we see as a home, not a revenue source).

They never say they don't want to support education, even though some of them probably do. People get emotional about children (some love them, some hate them) and it's probably for the best to leave emotions out of the discussion because they just cloud the issue.

They find interesting ways to frame their arguments. This week's paper has several folks pointing to the gym roof collapse as proof that this renovation isn't necessary. I'm intrigued -- wouldn't a freshly-renovated building require less maintenance and be less likely to have problems?

They never refute the claims that construction costs are lower now than they will be in the future, which lowers the project costs.

They complain about the lack of community involvement in the process, which has been ongoing for three years and has included articles, blog posts, superintendent coffees in the morning, informational meetings with discussions at night and two full election cycles that saw two outspoken supporters of the project win seats on the Board of Education. I think everyone has the right to air their views, but please don't insult my intelligence by suggesting that lack of interest on doing so somehow taints the process. Should Maria Rice have offered wine and cheese to entice you, or would that just raise your tax-dollar-wasting hackles a bit more?

Lagusta Yearwood said that those in opposition can simply be ignored and I wish I could agree. However, the people who complain about lack of community involvement are feeding inaccurate and incomplete information to people who are equally inattentive and who might just cast an uninformed vote. I won't try to change somebody's mind, but I sure as hell will make sure I correct any mistakes they are basing that decision on. The worst thing we can do for New Paltz education is allow ignorance to cast a vote.

Terence P. Ward
New Paltz

Dan Guenther's Letter to the Editor 01/27/10: Vote "Yes" on the School Board Referendum

"Beep Beep. This is a test, This is only a test. If this were a real emergency..."

And if, because of these challenging economic times, we fail to support our schools, our teachers and our children, we will bring on a real emergency. Let's pass the test and vote "yes" on the school board referendum.

Dan Guenther
New Paltz

Steve Greenfield's Letter to the Editor 01/27/10: Voting Yes is the Right Thing To Do

What kind of building do we use to teach New Paltz Middle School students? The majority of it is classrooms and gyms intended for an entire school system -- its spaces designed for kindergarten as well as high school to suit the educational modalities and regional and national economies of long-ago times. Special education, handicap access, the digital age, childhood obesity, exorbitant energy costs, the "service economy" and a building population of 600 hadn't even been imagined when we last built in 1966. But we are trying to teach the students of today with the mandates of today and the economy of today in a structure that was not designed to be adaptable to today's needs.

When our most recent addition was built, manufacturing accounted for 30% of jobs in America. Now that's down to 9% and going down every year. Construction is down to 4%. And due to the stockpile and tighter credit, that figure won't grow and is likely to decline. Agriculture, fishing and forestry are below one-half of a percentage point. Eighty percent of the economy is in categories described by the Bureau of Labor Statistics as "managerial, professional, technical, sales, office, other services." And a substantial number of jobs categorized in blue-collar sectors are increasingly digital and robotic, requiring modern technical skills above physical strength and agility.

So when some say we should persist in educating our students in old buildings that were created when the overwhelming majority of jobs into which we expected our kids to emerge were blue-collar, or with classrooms that cannot be wired for the knowledge needed for today's economy, what are they really saying? Sure, we're in a downturn, but doesn't emergence from that depend entirely upon preparing our young people for the segments of the world economy still centered in the United States? When recovery starts, do we really want our graduates at a disadvantage in competing for jobs or additional training in college? Do we abandon them in their hour of need and in the hour when their country needs them? Our own children?

Since 1966, our economy has completely transformed and post-graduation goals and requirements have transformed along with it. Educational mandates and modalities have completely transformed. The local population has dramatically multiplied. I wish I could cap this off by saying "but our middle school has remained the same," but I can't, because the truth is it has substantially deteriorated, so much so that it will take at least $10 million right now just to keep it functioning and not even for very long based on the school's age and physical condition.

Our community was informed of this two years ago when the School Board sought input on how to proceed. The response was overwhelming and of nearly one voice -- renovate, expand and improve the middle school on its current site. Since then this community has elected new board members largely on their commitment to carrying through on that mandate. Now we are nearing the critical date on which we will vote to implement that which we asked the board and administration to spend two years developing -- a modern middle school designed for 21st-century education and economies in the heart of New Paltz with the historic 1930 building preserved. The last fear standing between us and a better future for our children -- the prospects for reductions in state building aid -- are now relieved as Governor Paterson's just-released budget, while containing a full spectrum of state-wide spending reductions, actually increases school building aid by $222 million. This work is as much a priority in Albany as it is for our district.

On Tuesday, Feb. 9t please support the New Paltz Middle School renovation and ask your acquaintances and entire community to do the same. It's the right thing to do.

Steve Greenfield
New Paltz

Judy Mage's Letter to the Editor 01/27/10: Voting Yes for the Middle School

Like most taxpayers in New Paltz, I am not happy at the prospect of any addition to my tax burden. I'm retired and on a fixed income and school, village, town and county taxes take a big bite. But so do federal taxes -- a huge percentage of which go to paying for past, present and future military expenses. And there seems to be nothing I can do to change this. Whereas I COULD with my vote possibly prevent any more of my income going to pay for a middle school renovation, which will not benefit me personally at all -- my son having graduated from the New Paltz schools back in 1991. But the question is: Is this where I should draw the line? And after reading all the letters and hearing all the arguments, I have decided to vote yes and I urge everyone who cares about the future of our community to join me in voting yes.

To me, the most crucial argument is this one: For the health and safety of current and future generations of the children of our community, an extensive middle school renovation really needs to be done and it is only going to be more expensive if we put it off to some distant time when presumably we would be economically better off. It's just like putting off needed repairs to our own homes and then finding that they now cost a lot more than the original estimates. In the end, I feel that voting yes is, for me, the right choice and even if it hurts, the moral choice.

Judy Mage
New Paltz

Rebecca Rotzler and Amy Mosbacher's Letter to the Editor 01/27/10: Joining forces

Save the New Paltz Middle School and New Paltz Middle School YES! are joining forces. After very careful consideration of the proposed middle school project and a survey of our membership which found widespread support, Save the New Paltz Middle School is endorsing the project and is urging members and the wider New Paltz Central School District community to vote yes for the referendum on Feb. 9, 2010.

Save the New Paltz Middle School was created in January 2008 when our community mobilized to convince the school board to vote to keep the middle school in the heart of the village. On Jan. 30, 2008, Save the Middle School presented the New Paltz Central School District with a petition. This petition, signed by over 850 district residents, collected in less than two weeks, clearly stated: "We, the undersigned, are concerned citizens who urge the board to act now to commit to keep the middle school at its current location."

Following attendance by Save the Middle School members at a multitude of school board meetings over the past two years, a diligent and focused analysis of the renovation plan and the membership survey affirming widespread support, Save the New Paltz Middle School is firmly endorsing the call for district residents to vote yes on the bond referendum Feb. 9, 2010.

As a result, Save the Middle School is merging with Middle School YES!, a group of citizens whose goal is to provide accurate news and information to residents of the New Paltz Central School District about the upcoming Feb. 9, 2010, bond referendum vote and the importance of voting YES! The vote will be held from noon to 9 p.m. at the high school.

You can e-mail Middle School YES! at NPMiddleSchoolYES@gmail.com. You can find us on Facebook by searching for "New Paltz Middle School YES!" and our website is www.newpaltzmiddleschoolyes.blogspot.com.

Rebecca Rotzler and Amy Mosbacher
New Paltz

Norman Turner's Letter to the Editor 01/27/10: Support the Bond for Our School

It's a no-brainer, really. If the New Paltz Middle School isn't replaced now, we taxpayers will be throwing more money into an outmoded building that costs plenty in energy bills and frequent repairs. That doesn't make a shred of sense. And what will it cost us to deal with the problem further down the road? Does anyone really believe that interest rates are going to stay at their current low?

Watch out for the misinformation, some of it deliberate. Instead, do the math yourself. The numbers are right there on the District website. There's no reason to think them wrong. The total projected cost of the bond, with interest, is about $34 million, not some crazy number people are yelling about. The average cost per year to us, if we happen to own a house valued at the median of $297,700.00, is $162.60. We all get sticker shock when we open our tax bills, but that's partly because we get hit with a lump sum. $162.60 a year is around 45 cents a day.

We've been presented with a good plan for something that must be done. Getting bogged down in endless controversy and delays would be a costly mistake. Yeah, the taxes are painful, but that's an Albany problem more than a local one. It's Albany that does state budgets, state taxes and state aid to school budgets and capital projects, not school boards. Saying no to this project won't bother a single politician.

Send Albany a message by voting against State legislators. Let's clear that mess out. But support the bond for our school.

Norman Turner
New Paltz

Larry Braun's Letter to the Editor 01/27/10: The Right Time to Borrow and Build

Since early December, I've read and heard more than 100 comments about the aged New Paltz Middle School. It is agreed the building constructed in 1930 has become a financial burden; it has been found to be unhealthy and unsafe; it is not ADA compliant; and it no longer properly serves the educational needs of the community.

The vast majority of those that commented chose renovation over building new. They favor the current center-of-town location and the lower cost and higher state aid of renovation rather than a new building on new land at the edge of town.

The debate developed more fiction than fact. The most glaring misrepresentation is the cost of the renovation project to the taxpayers. Early on full-page ads claimed the cost to be $80M. Lately, by way of other innovative accounting, $77M has appeared in a letter in the New Paltz Times. But mostly, $50M is used, which is arrived at by ignoring state aid. These are all false. Go to www.newpaltzk12.ny.us to get the correct cost to the district taxpayers: $29,750,000.

For 60 years, I've been involved in school issues. Working with Board of Education members has been a rewarding experience. I've found these men and women to be true pubic servants. They are ordinary citizens who devote their free time working long hours without pay. They take a lot of abuse and criticism, but pay the same tax rates their decisions impose on the rest of us. They deserve our respect and thanks.

Some taxpayers have never seen a tax they cannot hate. More problematic are those who feel it unjust to pay school taxes once their children have completed their elementary and high school education. Perhaps they never considered the people who paid school taxes while they, or their children, attended school. In my case, I have no grandchildren and my son has been out of school for 35 years. I continue to pay school taxes because education is a living entity that cannot be turned off. An educated society is our means to a healthy future.

With the economy so depressed, this is the right time to borrow and build. Low interest rates and favorable construction competition makes this the ideal time to fix the middle school. Waiting two years, as some suggest, will not make things better. It is common knowledge in the financial and economic communities that this recession and its high unemployment rates will not end in two years.

New Paltz voted yes in 1930 to build a new school and paid for it through the decade of the Great Depression. That school served New Paltz for 80 years. Vote yes on Feb. 9 to renovate the middle school and give it a new life.

Larry Braun
Gardiner

Friday, January 29, 2010

FABULOUS NEWS: TSEC Application to Congressman Hinchey Designed to Support Sustainable, Clean Energy Funding for New Paltz Middle School

Application to Congressman Hinchey Designed to Support Sustainable, Clean Energy Funding for New Paltz Middle School

NEW PALTZ–Thanks to Congressman Maurice Hinchey, the New Paltz Central School District is hoping to secure some additional funding for the anticipated costs of High Performance energy options included in its proposed Middle School addition and renovations that is being placed before voters on February 9.

The Solar Energy Consortium (TSEC), a not-for-profit group that provides funding, facilities, personnel, and support for research/development, application/design, pilot manufacturing, and related activities to further energy resources conservation and development, is submitting a $470,000 Appropriations Application for government funding on behalf of the New Paltz Central School District through Congressman Hinchey’s office. The $470,000 sought from the State’s Energy and Water Bill would be used to fund a portion of the solar electric and solar thermal systems included in the New Paltz Middle School’s proposed renovations in order to improve the energy efficiency of the building and demonstrate the use of renewable energy sources for students, staff, and community.

Many High Performance opportunities designed to provide a healthy and productive environment that is cost effective to maintain and operate, as well as preserves natural resources while conserving energy, were included in the plans developed to address the antiquated Middle School’s educational and infrastructural deficiencies. The final plans will be designed using NY-CHPS High Performance School Guidelines and the LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System™ to achieve maximum sustainability and lower operating costs. Examples include the use of a 40KW Photovoltaic System for the roof to help produce a portion of the electricity, a solar thermal system for hot water, and finally a geothermal heating and ventilation (HVAC) system.

The TSEC project has designated approximately $310,000 toward these systems with an additional $160,000 for solar hot water systems. If approved, the funding from Congressman Hinchey’s appropriations would offset the project expenses and thereby lower the local share of the project cost.

“It was important that we address the existing building’s carbon footprint for energy loss, which is significant and represents the opposite of Green community values. It is for this reason that the potential renovations and construction to the New Paltz Middle School will be undertaken with the responsibility and good environmental stewardship that is held in the highest regard by the New Paltz community and is a priority of the Board of Education,” says Kathleen (KT) Tobin-Flusser, a member of the New Paltz Board of Education who ran for the Board on a platform that embraced a responsible green approach to creating a 21st Century New Paltz Middle School at its current location.

“This project will provide a model for sustainable energy use in a public school setting and incorporate those technologies into the curriculum. It will also serve as a model for other schools in New York State,” says Tobin-Flusser.

Interest in the use of green technologies goes further than the New Paltz community, however. The Hudson Valley region is the home of many businesses and a strong employment and training program focused on sustainable, clean energy services. The TSEC application highlights the fact that the proposed $49.8 million New Paltz project will generate work for skilled green technology construction workers, architects, and engineers. The maintenance of the buildings’ renewable energy systems will also demand a skilled workforce in these new technologies. The local Clean Energy Training Academy (CETA), offered through Ulster BOCES in partnership with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), is recognized as a leader in New York State in the field of photovoltaic, solar thermal, wind, geothermal and weatherization/energy efficiency education and training.

“As the school is in the center of the town, it also provides a clear statement regarding the community’s commitment to energy efficiency, sustainability, and green technology,” concludes Tobin-Flusser.
ABOUT THE SOLAR ENERGY CONSORTIUM (TSEC):

Vision & Mission

The Solar Energy Consortium envisions a world where solar energy is everywhere, supplying clean, reliable, sustainable power.

The Solar Energy Consortium’s (TSEC) mission is to double the efficiency of photovoltaic systems, to halve the installed cost of solar energy systems, to simplify the installation of solar energy systems, and to develop unique photovoltaic forms for use in urban environments.

History:

Sine 2007, TSEC has been working as a not-for-profit 501 (C) (3) to meet the demand for energy independence and sustainability in New York State and nationally. According to its website, TSEC exists for charitable, scientific, and educational purposes in order to support and foster scientific research and technology development and disseminate advances in knowledge in the fields of basic and applied research on solar energy products, systems, and services. TSEC provides funding, facilities, personnel, and support for research and development, application and design, pilot manufacturing, and related activities to further energy resources conservation and development.

TSEC has partners across the world, working daily to advance the leading edge of photovoltaic technology, to commercialize technology through new company formation, and to help smaller businesses and labs for these emerging technologies to be successful. TSEC also works closely with its partners and government at all levels to ensure they have the necessary information to make informed decisions about solar energy.

For more information about The Solar Energy Consortium (TSEC), visit their website at http://thesolarec.org.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

NYSERDA: www.nyserda.org

LEED: www.usgbc.org

CHPS: www.chps.net

U.S. Green Building Council on Green Schools: www.greenschoolbuildings.org

District Newsletter on the Project

Click here for the District Newsletter on the Project

It should be arriving in your mailbox soon!

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Decision Time: New Paltz Times 01/28/10

New Paltz school board releases a breakdown in costs for the $49.78m middle school renovation

by Mike Townshend
The proposed $49.78 million renovation for the New Paltz Middle School has become a topic of passion and division within town. Opponents of the renovation deride it as too costly and have accused the school district of downplaying the future interest burden. Proponents point to the advancements in green technology included in the building and the educational possibilities it could bring to kids in New Paltz.

At last week's school board meeting, board President David Dukler again asked people to remain civil and keep Feb. 10 -- the day after the middle school vote -- in mind.

"I understand," he said. "The financial drama of our time continues."

Elsewhere in the community, the battle to win people over to either the pro-renovation or anti-renovation sides has also heated up.

In early January, lawn signs saying that the middle school project would cost $100 million have popped up throughout New Paltz.

According to school board Vice President Don Kerr, those figures are just plain wrong.

"The lawn signs take conservative projections on project costs put out by the school district and manipulates them," Kerr said. "It inflates the current debt of the school district and considers over $30 million in state aid as debt."

With just over $20 million in expected building aid from the state, taxpayers would pay $29.75 million of the middle school renovation's price tag, according to information by the school district.

Kerr also made it a point to stress the fact that construction bids could end up being lower than expected. Project architects have built in a good deal of risk protection into their budget, meaning that it likely is somewhat inflated.

Because the district won't break ground until summer 2011, taxpayers wouldn't see their taxes go up until September 2012. From then, the district would bond the work and would repay that bond within 20 years.

Including the current and proposed debt burden, the average cost for a home assessed at $297,700 -- the median cost in New Paltz -- would be $13.15 per month. Board of Education members voted to keep the middle school worked into their annual four percent tax levy increase -- so it wouldn't represent any bigger of an annual change to taxes than taxpayers have seen in the past few years.

Assuming a three percent annual interest rate on the bond, the district would owe approximately an extra $30 million on the original $49.78 million.

However, what the district would actually pay back to its investors would hinge on what municipal bonds go for when they issue the bond. That interest rate will remain undetermined until that happens.

A breakdown in costs

For the past few weeks, the district has held informational meetings to tell people about the costs and benefits of the project prior to Feb. 9.

Included in the newest slideshow is a breakdown of what all that $49.78 million will go toward buying. Here's that list:

-- New classroom wing and redesigned entryway: $31.25 million.

-- Classroom and hallway renovations: $5.21 million.

-- Renovations to turn the 1930s wing into a new district office: $2.61 million.

-- Cafeteria and kitchen renovations: $1.92 million.

-- New small gym room: $1.37 million.

-- New locker room: $720,000.

-- Slight renovations to current gymnasium: $260,000.

-- Slight renovations to current auditorium: $150,000.

-- High-performance or green building additions: $2.99 million.

-- New parent drop-off loop, parking and entryway work: $400,000.

-- New district office loop, administrative parking work: $300,000.

-- Moving the playground and outdoor dining: $100,000.

-- Improvements to the sports fields: $200,000.

-- Moving the district's central cooking kitchen to high school: $1.71 million.

-- Moving central receiving to the high school: $430,000.

-- Demolition of the old district office building on Main Street: $160,000.

-- Included in the $49.78 is also $500,000 to help cover the costs of relocating students to both Lenape Elementary School and the old Tillson Elementary School.

How green is 'green'?

One large part of the middle school renovation plan has been the proposal to include much more environmentally friendly technologies. Right now, the middle school blasts heat so badly during the winter that teachers often have to open up windows to make sure that kids don't stifle.

A good portion of the green technology is aimed at making the heating and air conditioning top notch and reducing the haphazard nature of what is occurring now, Trustee KT Tobin Flusser said.

The schools plan to investigate $2.99 million in options for adding green technology, such as solar panels or geothermal heating. It also includes less trendy, but needed changes -- including upgrades to insulation, motion sensor lights, more efficient plumbing fixtures and increasing the number of classrooms with natural lighting pouring in from the windows.

That overall green technology number could change -- especially with high-price items, such as geothermal heating and cooling, Tobin Flusser said.

"We won't do it if there's not a good payback," she said. Testing for geothermal would involve digging approximately 80 test wells on the site to see if that renewable energy option would even be viable.

Drilling myriad holes in the ground isn't really something the New Paltz schools could even do before the voters weigh in on the project on Feb. 9, she added.

Relocation plans

Of equal importance to the benefits of a renovated middle school has been developing an acceptable plan for relocating students during the construction period.

"Although our current middle school building is outdated and in need of renovation, it is essential that construction is not undertaken at the expense of our current students' education and development. This is a priority," said Superintendent Maria Rice. "We will ensure that the students who would be relocated during construction are provided with a quality education with all of the opportunities they would have received if they remained in the middle school building."

Relocation is necessary because it is not possible to undertake the desired building additions/renovations without demolishing more than half of the existing classroom spaces. By relocating, the construction phase can be limited to just one school year.

A team of two-dozen stakeholders (consisting of students, parents, teachers, support staff and administrators from across the four school buildings, as well as a representative from SUNY New Paltz) came together for two months to develop the relocation plan. After extensive research, review and deliberation, the team presented their plan to the Board of Education in mid-December.

"Our goal was to cause the least impact as possible at the other buildings, while keeping our middle school program intact," said middle school teacher Barbara Weiner, who was also a representative on the committee.

Specifics of the plan:

-- Grade 6 will remain in the familiar environment of Lenape Elementary School for an additional year, but will attend school on the middle school schedule. The sixth grade students would still travel to and from school with their middle school peers, where they would use a separate bus loop, entrance, classrooms and offices designated for the middle school program. The space is currently leased to Ulster BOCES, who is able to relocate many of their classes for the time period necessary for construction.

Since the middle school schedule begins earlier than the Lenape schedule, there is a block of time in the morning that the older students can access unique classrooms -- such as music, band and physical education -- without causing any scheduling conflicts for the other grades.

"We are happy that space could be arranged for our students to stay with us for an additional year," said Lenape Principal Michelle Martoni. "Since these students are already a part of our school community, the additional year at Lenape will be natural for them. At the same time, the students will also be able to experience the independence they are seeking at this age, since they will follow a middle school schedule and transition to a new middle school principal and expectations."

-- Grades 7 and 8 will relocate to Tillson Elementary School, located behind the Postage Inn in Tillson. The building belongs to the Kingston City School District, who offered it to the District to utilize during the project.

"Environment plays an important part in getting students settled in and ready to learn, so having an actual school -- with all the components of an educational setting -- available to us is a great asset," said Weiner.

The Tillson site, which was last used as an alternative high school by Ulster BOCES, is adequately sized for the grade 7-8 students and features 14-16 classrooms, plus other spaces like a gymnasium, stage, kitchen, offices, athletic fields and even a school garden area. Parking and a bus loop also exist.

-- The relocation plan supports the scheduling of appropriate courses for meeting State and Federal requirements, as well as New Paltz Central School's own educational standards. Appropriately equipped classrooms will be available.

"This plan also allows us to keep all our teaching teams intact. Other than the location, students will receive the same programs, services, field trips and opportunities that would have been available at our middle school building," said Weiner. "The middle school staff has a history of being able to provide the best possible education under less than desirable circumstances, we will be vigilant in ensuring that quality learning is taking place, just as it does now."

-- All budgeted co-curricular activities (clubs) and sports for grades 6-8 will continue to be offered. Shuttles will be available to transport students to identified locations where they will join their other middle school peers for activities. The Tillson grounds contain a soccer field and additional field space that can be used for skill practices and drills. The cross-country team will be able to use the grounds for their practices. The Tillson gymnasium can also serve some indoor sports.

Poll workers

New Paltz school board members unanimously approved a list of seven poll workers for the Feb. 9 special election on the proposed $49.78 million middle school renovation last week.

While the vote was not usually the kind of thing that would draw comment, much less controversy, the Board of Education entertained a lengthy and lively public comment session on Jan. 20. Many of the people speaking spoke to the possible elimination of New Paltz resident Nora Strano from that list.

Strano, who is an outspoken opponent of the middle school renovation, said she felt like the school board had launched "personal attacks on me."

She also rebuked six of the board members for their "extreme bullying of a particular board member." Strano was alluding to the board's treatment of Edgar Rodriguez -- the only member to vote against placing the renovation project on the ballot.

Rodriguez disliked the project because he thought that taxpayers in New Paltz could not deal with the burden of the $49.78 million project and the subsequent interest the district would shoulder.

Robert Gabrielli, also an opponent of renovation, said he felt like the school board would have crossed the line if they didn't allow Strano to work the polls.

"You can't arbitrarily limit dissent," Gabrielli said.

Ultimately, the Board of Education voted unanimously to approve all seven names on the list, citing a conversation with their attorney.

Besides Strano, that list includes John Johnson, Elena Maskell, Kathleen Mironchik, Maria C. Davila, Shari Osborn and Floyd Kniffen. The school district's attorney advised them that no one should be excluded from the election workers list -- no matter how they stand on the issue.

Upcoming forums, meetings and tours

Prior to the vote, the school district also plans to hold more public forums. As of press time, a forum was scheduled for Wednesday, (Jan. 27), 7 p.m. at Lenape Elementary School. On Feb. 3, a 7 p.m. public forum will take place at New Paltz Central High School. On Feb. 4, a 6:30 tour of the middle school will be held before a forum at 7 p.m. -- also at New Paltz Middle School.

Where and when to vote

Voters can queue up at the high school polling stations starting at noon on Feb. 9. Polls close at 9 p.m. that evening. The school is located at South Putt Corners Road. In the event schools are closed due to inclement weather, as prescribed by law, the bond vote will take place as scheduled unless a state of emergency is declared by Ulster County.

For more complete information on the project budget overall, head to npcsdms.edublogs.org.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Vote By Absentee If You Need To! Here's How:

How Can I Obtain an Absentee Ballot?

Absentee Ballots are available for qualified voters who are unable to vote at the polls on Tuesday, February 9. Applications for absentee ballots may be obtained at the Office of the District Clerk at least seven (7) days prior to said Special District Meeting if the ballot is to mailed to the voter, or the day before the Special District Meeting if the ballot will be delivered personally to the voter. Written requests for absentee ballots must be made at least seven (7) days and no more than thirty (30) days prior to said Special District Meeting. Absentee ballots must be received at the Office of the District Clerk by no later than 5 PM Prevailing Time) on February 9, 2010, the date set for said Special District Meeting. For more information about obtaining Absentee Ballots, please call the District Clerk at (845) 256-4020.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

A History Lesson

The New Paltz Middle School was built in 1930 to house the 10th, 11th, and 12th grades that were formerly educated on the Normal School campus, now SUNY New Paltz.

When the state alerted the village that it would have to take over the last three years of high school education there was considerable debate about where the school should be built and how much it should cost.

August 1929, Millard Dubois, quoted in the New Paltz Independent, the school should "not be far from the center of the village".

November 1929, Bryun Hasbrouck, quoted in the New Paltz Independent, on the topic of the debate about the school, urges the paper and the district to "make clear a subject that has probably been hazy in the minds of many people."

January 1930, in an editorial in the New Paltz Independent, a cry to move forward with the school, "Because New Paltz voters are far too self-respecting to commit the foolish errors made by so many towns when this kind of decision has to be made, frequently holding up a needed program for years, adding thousands of unnecessary expense."

January 1930, Elting Harp quoted in the New Paltz Independent, notes in response to opposition to the project, "It is seldom, if ever, in an election that involves the spending of money that some people do not say the price is too high."

February 1930, reported in the New Paltz Independent, on the New Paltz Lumber Company's donation of athletic fields, "The deed conveying title is to contain a reversionary clause to the effect that if said tract ceases to be used as an athletic field, recreation center or playground in connection with educational purposes, it shall revert to the New Paltz Lumber Company, it's successor or assigns."

April 1930, reported in the New Paltz Independent, the state played an active role in site selection and building design and would pay a quarter of the estimated $190,000 to build the school. Further, in an editorial response to attacks on the district and board, "...the board has worked with painstaking care to meet the requirements of Albany and at the same time conserved our taxpayers' money... No stone has been left unturned."

May 1930, the New Paltz Independent reports: Voters accept the $190,000 plan with 154 for and 108 against. One anti-voter is quoted, "What is the use of a fine building if people are too poor to send their children to school"? A supporter is quoted, "If we vote it down, the extra trouble will make it cost just as much in the end."

August 1930, the New Paltz Independent reports: actual bids came in lower than expected, three firms from Kingston were selected, for a total cost of about $160,000. (Note, even in the Depression era, the state did pay its share.)

October 1930, in his building dedication speech, Superintendent Gillette: "I have attempted to indicate briefly, that, according to recorded experiences of the past, our generation will be called upon to make a contribution to the world's educational progress and young men and women whom this building will serve, will strive to contribute their share."

All research cited here was conducted at the Haviland-Heidgerd Historical Collection, Elting Library. All direct quotes appeared in the New Paltz Independent.

Monday, January 25, 2010

Steven Greenfield in the Poughkeepsie Journal 01/21/10: New Paltz Middle School Renovations Are Affordable Necessity

What kind of building do we use to teach New Paltz Middle School students? The majority of it is classrooms and gyms intended for an entire school system, its spaces designed for kindergarten as well as high school, to suit the educational modalities and regional and national economies of long-ago times. Special education, handicap access, the digital age, childhood obesity, exhorbitant energy costs, the "service economy," and a building population of 600 hadn't even been imagined when we last built in 1966. But we are trying to teach the students of today, with the mandates of today, and the economy of today in a structure that was not designed to be adaptable to today's needs.

When our most recent addition was built, manufacturing accounted for 30% of jobs in America. Now that's down to 9%, and going down every year. Construction is down to 4%, and due to the stockpile and tighter credit, that figure won't grow, and is likely to decline. Agriculture, fishing, and forestry are below one-half of a percentage point. 80% of the economy is in categories described by the Bureau of Labor Statistics as "managerial, professional, technical, sales, office, other services." And a substantial number of jobs categorized in blue-collar sectors are increasingly digital and robotic, requiring modern technical skills above physical strength and agility.

So when some say we should persist in educating our students in old buildings that were created when the overwhelming majority of jobs into which we expected our kids to emerge were blue-collar, or with classrooms that cannot be wired for the knowledge needed for today's economy, what are they really saying? Sure, we're in a downturn, but doesn't emergence from that depend entirely upon preparing our young people for the segments of the world economy still centered in the United States? When recovery starts, do we really want our graduates at a disadvantage in competing for jobs or additional training in college? Do we abandon them in their hour of need, and in the hour when their country needs them? Our own children?

Since 1966 our economy has completely transformed, and post-graduation goals and requirements have transformed along with it. Educational mandates and modalities have completely transformed. The local population has dramatically multiplied. I wish I could cap this off by saying "but our Middle School has remained the same," but I can't, because the truth is, it has substantially deteriorated, so much so that it will take at least $10 million, right now, just to keep it functioning, and not even for very long based on the school's age and physical condition.

Our community was informed of this two years ago when the School Board sought input on how to proceed. The response was overwhelming, and of nearly one voice: renovate, expand, and improve the Middle School on its current site. Since then this community has elected new board members largely on their commitment to carrying through on that mandate. Now we are nearing the critical date on which we will vote to implement that which we asked the board and administration to spend two years developing: a modern Middle School designed for 21st century education and economies, in the heart of New Paltz, with the historic 1930 building preserved. The last fear standing between us and a better future for our children, the prospects for reductions in state building aid, are now relieved, as Governor Paterson's just-released budget, while containing a full spectrum of state-wide spending reductions, actually increases school building aid by $222 million. This work is as much a priority in Albany as it is for our district.

On Tuesday, February 9th, please support the New Paltz Middle School renovation, and ask your acquaintances and entire community to do the same. It's the right thing to do.

Steven Greenfield
New Paltz

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Middle School YES! Pro-Project People Speak Out!



Please be patient, it takes a couple minutes to load.

Here is the direct link to the video - http://www.motionbox.com/videos/4c97dbb91c19e5c5c3?type=sd

Or you can direct people via our website - http://newpaltzmiddleschoolyes.blogspot.com/2010/01/middle-school-yes-pro-project-people.html

Saturday, January 23, 2010

What Can You Do To Help?

There are only 17 days till the Middle School vote! What can YOU to do HELP?

#1 Write a letter to the editor. The deadline for the LAST New Paltz Times before the vote is Friday, 1/29, at 3:00pm. Email letters to: newpaltztimes@ulsterpublishing.com

#2 Put out a lawn sign and/or help distribute lawn signs. Email NPMiddleSchoolYES@gmail.com for details.

#3 Host a gathering in order to tell your friends about the importance of voting YES!

#4 Send emails to your friends about Save the Middle Schools' merge with Middle School YES!, links to our website and Facebook group, the district's webblog, and soon we will have the video online so you can send that link as well.

Press release: http://newpaltzmiddleschoolyes.blogspot.com/2010/01/save-middle-school-endorses-proposed.html

Our website: http://newpaltzmiddleschoolyes.blogspot.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/New-Paltz-Middle-School-YES/237960830099?ref=nf

District Webblog: http://npcsdms.edublogs.org/

#5 Attend and encourage your friends to attend the remaining presentations on the project:

January 27 7:00 PM Lenape Elementary School
February 4 6:30 PM Tours of the Middle School
February 4 7:00 PM New Paltz Middle School Gym

#6 Put up a sign in your car or business window. Download sign here: http://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B1fDgRwvRVcqMjI2YWU0MGMtYzgxMS00ZjlmLTkzM2ItY2QwOTE0NDA0MjRj&hl=en

#7 Contribute money. Middle School YES! is collecting donations to help get the word out to voters about the importance of voting YES! on the bond. Checks should be made out to New Paltz Middle School YES! and mailed to this address: New Paltz Middle School YES! c/o Amy Mosbacher, 2 Woodland Drive, New Paltz, 12561

Friday, January 22, 2010

William Weinstein's Letter to the Editor 01/21/10: Be Creative and Bold

I believe it's critical to vote yes in February's referendum on renovating the middle school.

The plan formulated by the board is a plan that will work, with the least expense - the least expense actually worth making - the greatest bang for the buck, and the least displacement of our kids.

There is a lot of rumor-mongering afloat in town at the moment. I watched the video of concerned citizens, my good neighbors, speaking out against the project (two or three recently had letters to this paper) and after thinking about it, I don't believe their well-intentioned criticisms hold water. For instance, yes, the New Paltz schools administration will move into the new building. But this will save the expense of renting the building at Chestnut and H.W. Dubois, as is currently the case.

The yearly tax impact for a $300,000 median-valued home will be about $52 to $57 each year for the first four years, with likely reductions after that. In other words, the tax bill will likely come down after the first four years.

Will this send residents packing in droves in toward the welcoming arms of South Carolina? I don't think so. A reasonable expense of our tax dollars will remake a school that is sub-par and decrepit, in the process helping to keep New Paltz educationally vibrant and attractive to families with young children.

Even a school district as excellent as ours needs to innovate in order to move forward, and innovation sometimes costs money.

There have been accusations that this plan is a divisive one, pitting one segment of our neighborly fabric against another. I ask with total respect for my neighbors' concerns: which is more divisive, a detailed plan submitted after hundreds of hours of work in public forums by a board of education whose names and phone numbers are published for all to see, and supported by New Paltz citizens who sign their names at the bottom of their letters; or an anonymous group that makes unfounded allegations under the banner of "Concerned Citizens of New Paltz" and at the last minute asks for a do-over?

One early suggestion was for an indoor swimming pool at the school, for the emtire community, an amenity that swimming-oriented New Paltz would have greatly benefited from. It will never happen now.

These are not easy times for most of us. Paradoxically, that's why this is the time to pool our money as a community for community benefit. Let's be creative and bold, not fearful, in uncertain times. New Paltz's priority should be to create a framework for the best education possible, not to retreat in the face of national priorities set by larger forces whose values do not center on education.

The plan presented by the Board of Education is a good and thoughtful plan. It is cost-effective. Given the state of the economy, you could even call it ingenious. It has benefits that reach far into the future on many levels. Please vote YES on February 9. And on February 10, let's all pull together, no matter the outcome.

William Weinstein
New Paltz

Matthew Maley's Letter to the Editor 01/21/10: The Best Time is Now

I support the renovations.

I toured the middle school two years ago when the school board first asked for public input. I saw the cracks in the foundation. I witnessed the overheated gymnasium. I climbed to areas of the school inaccessible to handicapped students.

Truth is there will never be a good time in the near future to fix this school. Our economy will not magically fix itself in a year or two...or three. But neither will the middle school.

I appreciate the majority of honest, frank opinions and concerns people have been voicing from both sides of this issue. I respect and understand their opinions because it's based on intelligent, dynamic debate from people who are publicly involved and care equally about our community.

But there is a small, increasingly vocal opposition that have brought this debate off the rails. So, in my opinion: When the over-inflated cost some people keep repeating in the paper doesn't take into account state funding and tax incentives, they are either ill-informed or disingenuous. When the school board is accused of sneaking this project through without enough review and public input, I ask where were you during the last two years when the board literally begged for more public input? To those too scared of letting their opinions be heard in fear of repercussions, the school board was voted in by the community. They are our neighbors, not a medieval panel that will take your children and over-tax your home if you voice dissent.

Finally, this is not some frivolous extravagance we want to lavish on our children! I simply don't understand this argument. It's not a giant Xbox. This is a 21st-century school generations of children will learn and grow in. And green technology will make it increasingly more affordable over the decades to come.

Matthew Maley
New Paltz

Adin Gold's Letter to the Editor 01/21/10: Needs and Wants

I am a 13-year-old eighth grader in the New Paltz middle school. In kindergarten I learned a valuable lesson. That lesson is to be able to determine the difference between a need and a want. This applies to many things. Whether you need or want the latest iPod, need or want a birthday present, and pretty much need or want anything.

The reason I am talking about needs and wants is because of our need to renovate the New Paltz middle school. For example, the boys' bathroom in the sixth-grade wing has three sinks. Two of them do not work. One of them has only hot water.

Also, in my social-studies class we are constantly disturbed by music coming from the band room. This is an unnecessary distraction that interferes with learning.

Another example, maybe the most urgent one, is heat. In the winter the heat in classrooms is either way too cold or way too hot. On the third floor, in some classrooms, the temperature has risen to over 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

I know it may be hard to listen to an opinion from someone who doesn't even pay taxes. But please, please, do not vote against the renovation because of the money. Please vote for the renovation because it is a need, and we will have to do it eventually.

Adin Gold
Gardiner

Don Kerr's Letter to the Editor 01/21/10: No State Aid, No Project

What follows is from me, speaking as an individual and not as a representative of any group or board.

In a thoughtful community such as ours, people know better than to look to lawn signs for accurate information. The level of misinformation reflected on lawn signs that sprung up last weekend regarding the middle school is disappointing. In this community, we can take a hard issue and figure it out without dumbing it down.

The lawn signs take conservative projections on project cost put out by the school district and manipulates them. It inflates the current debt of the school district, and considers over $30 million in state aid as debt. Assertions in the signs ignore the fact that bids should come in lower than projected and that the district's estimates inflate interest rates to cover worst-case scenarios. The most curious concern out there is that the project would move forward at all under such worst-case scenarios.

What if the state aid does not come? Loss of state building aid (which is separate from the operations aid that the governor talks about) is not a real possibility. Such cuts have never happened and have never even been mentioned in Albany, but New Paltz has a plan in place just the same.

As stated publicly by the president of the school board, if there were any question about the state meeting its obligations to New Paltz in state building aid, the middle-school project would not break ground. Once the project had broken ground, the state would be legally and contractually bound to make the payments. Loss of state building aid has never been discussed in Albany, and, speaking for myself, is fairly described by terms such as fantasy, red herring and scare tactic.

I urge people to continue to seek accurate information and credible answers to their questions.

Donald Kerr
New Paltz

Maria Davila's Letter to the Editor 01/21/10: The New Cost is Lower

It is very important for people to get out to the polls at the high school on February 9 and vote yes for the New Paltz middle-school renovations. The new anticipated project cost has been lowered to $49.78 million, and after state aid only $29.75 [million] needs to be covered by the taxpayers of New Paltz. The new funding strategy allows bonding to be delayed, so taxpayers will not feel the impact (of a 1.1% tax increase: how small!) until September 2012. This new lowered cost is all the more reason to vote yes and not put the project off when costs will be higher. It is also important to remember that a good education is invaluable and necessary, and a proper facility to learn in is imperative to receiving a proper education.

Our middle school will be undergoing infrastructure improvements in the areas of a mechanical ventilation system for top-notch air quality, an efficient hot-water heating system, air conditioning so that summer weather does not interfere with learning, cast-iron drainpipes, a fire protection system, LED exit lights, and plenty of other safety and environmentally conscious upgrades.

As many have said, the place is here and the time is now. Our students can't afford to wait any longer. The current building is not conducive to the educational process. It is time to renovate, not relocate.

Let's put the greed over keeping our dollars to ourselves, and invest in the smartest option; the education of those who will be running our state, county, and town in the next couple of decades!

Maria Davila
Gardiner

Andi Weiss Bartczak's Letter to the Editor 01/21/10: I was Impressed

The referendum on whether to spend tens of millions of dollars on replacing our present middle school is coming up. I went to one of the public meetings last year, dubious about all the proposed features. I came away impressed with the project and the rationales for doing it and doing it now. The school board has cut several million dollars from the project and I agree that now is the time to give our middle school students a good place for learning and give us taxpayers and residents a middle school that consumes less energy (and therefore less of our school taxes). As I read somewhere, a project like this that creates a building that will last for decades will take a relatively small savings of energy costs and multiply it by each year the building is used.

Some costs of construction are lowered because of Bush's Great Recession, so now is the time to get more bang for our bucks. And we will be putting people to work, who will be paying more income and business taxes.

Andi Weiss Bartczak
Gardiner

Theresa Fall's Letter to the Editor 01/21/10: Configured for Learning

I'm voting yes for the New Paltz middle school because it is the right thing to do for health, safety, energy efficiency, environment, dollars and sense, and the education of the children in our school district now and for generations to come.

Vote yes because it is right for the health of staff and students, because right now there are significant air-quality and heating issues. There are parts of the building and educational programs that are not accessible to the disabled and temporarily injured. The proposed project will resolve these issues, and the new middle school will be CHPS certified. (More detail here: www.chps.net Collaborative for High Performance, "Better Buildings. Better Students.")

Vote yes because it is right because our middle school is an illogical maze, and emergency situations like lockdowns and evacuations take much too long. The configurations for the new buildings will be much safer.

Vote yes because it is right for energy efficiency and the environment. Currently the building is a fossil-fuel nightmare. The new building will be a U.S. Green Council LEED-certified, green building. It will include alternative energy sources, including solar and geothermal. (More detail here: http://npcsdms.edublogs.org/files/2010/01/16091201-High-Performance-Opportunities-Costs-Matrix.pdf)

Vote yes because it is right for dollars and sense because of the four alternatives - no nothing, only do repairs, renovate the historic 1930s structure and rebuild the classroom wings on the current site, or build new at the high school site - it is the most cost-effective plan.

Doing nothing is not an option because it jeopardizes the use of the facilities and a 2005 building survey deemed this school in need of major renovations. Only doing repairs makes no sense. It is throwing good money at bad. Its price tag of $10 million every ten years will not systematically resolve any of the educational, health, safety, ADA-compliance, or energy-efficiency issues. It is not a viable option and could easily end up costing more.

Building new is estimated to cost $15 to $20 million more than renovating at the current location, and the community has spoken loud and clear that it wants to keep our last remaining community school in the village.

But most of all vote yes because we need a middle school that is built and configured for contemporary learning. It is our responsibility to educate students for success in this century. In the current building there are not enough outlets for computers, let alone high-speed Internet access.

Right now, on average, classroom size is 30% under current state requirements, and this will be rectified with the proposed plan. Team, interdisciplinary teaching with the new "house" classroom configuration in the plan makes sense for modern education. At a minimum, the proposed more rational design will provide an additional 25 minutes of instructional time every day!

For all these reasons, the only way right way to vote is yes for the middle school on February 9 at the high school from noon to 9 p.m.

Theresa Fall
Chair, New Paltz GreenWorks
New Paltz

Thursday, January 21, 2010

SAVE THE MIDDLE SCHOOL ENDORSES PROPOSED MIDDLE SCHOOL PLAN AND IS JOINING FORCES WITH MIDDLE SCHOOL YES!

Save the New Paltz Middle School and New Paltz Middle School YES! are joining forces.

After very careful consideration of the proposed Middle School Project and a survey of their membership which found widespread support, Save the New Paltz Middle School is endorsing the project and is urging members and the wider New Paltz Central School District community to vote yes for the referendum on February 9th, 2010.

Save the New Paltz Middle School was created in January 2008 when our community mobilized to convince the school board to vote to keep the Middle School in the heart of the village. On January 30th, 2008, Save the Middle School presented the New Paltz Central School District with a petition. This petition, signed by over 850 district residents, collected in less than two weeks, clearly stated: “We, the undersigned, are concerned citizens who urge the board to act now to commit to keep the Middle School at its current location.”

Following attendance by Save the Middle School members at a multitude of school board meetings over the past two years, a diligent and focused analysis of the renovation plan, and the membership survey affirming widespread support, Save the New Paltz Middle School is firmly endorsing the call for district residents to vote YES! on the bond referendum February 9th, 2010.

As a result, Save the Middle School is merging with Middle School YES!, a group of citizens whose goal is to provide accurate news and information to residents of the New Paltz Central School District about the upcoming February 9th, 2010, bond referendum vote and the importance of voting YES! The vote will be held from 12pm to 9pm at the High School.

You can email Middle School YES! at NPMiddleSchoolYES@gmail.com. You can them find them on Facebook by searching “New Paltz Middle School YES!” and their website is www.newpaltzmiddleschoolyes.blogspot.com.

Gadfly Terence Ward: What the Middle School Opposition is Saying

Gadfly Terence Ward:

I'm trying to read between the lines of the message being sent by those who are opposed to renovating the Middle School.

* It's going to cost us far too much money, they say. They say it with full-page ads in the New Paltz Times (which run $800, I've heard), and they say it with mass-produced lawn signs. The supporters are sticking to writing letters and repainting their old signs.
* They say it with a lot of landlords, who are paying taxes that will not directly benefit them or their children. Many of the supporters have children in the school system (although some of us are supporting it because it benefits the community, which we see as a home, not a revenue source).
* They never say they don't want to support education, even though some of them probably do. People get emotional about children (some love them, some hate them) and it's probably for the best to leave emotions out of the discussion because they just cloud the issue.
* They find interesting ways to frame their arguments. This week's paper has several folks pointing to the gym roof collapse is proof that this renovation isn't necessary. I'm intrigued - wouldn't a freshly-renovated building require less maintenance and be less likely to have problems?
* They never refute the claims that construction costs are lower now than they will be in the future, which lowers the project costs.
* They complain about the lack of community involvement in the process, which has been ongoing for three years and has included articles, blog posts, superintendent coffees in the morning, informational meetings with discussions at night, and two full election cycles that saw two outspoken supporters of the project win seats of the Board of Education. I think everyone has the right to air their views, but please don't insult my intelligence by suggesting that lack of interest on doing so somehow taints the process. Should Maria Rice have offered wine and cheese to entice you, or would that just raise your tax-dollar-wasting hackles a bit more?

Lagusta Yearwood said that those in opposition can simply be ignored, and I wish I could agree. However, the people who complain about lack of community involvement are feeding inaccurate and incomplete information to people who are equally inattentive, and who might just cast an uninformed vote. I won't try to change somebody's mind but I sure as hell will make sure I correct any mistakes they are basing that decision on. The worst thing we can do for New Paltz education is allow ignorance to cast a vote.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Amy Mosbacher's Letter to the Editor 01/14/10: The Best Possible Outcome

Kudos to schools superintendent Maria Rice and our school board for putting together such a talented team of volunteers to respond to public demand for a solid relocation plan for the one year of middle school that would be displaced by the renovation. Not only did they get us a plan in time for the vote, but they got a great plan that makes use of an existing local public-school building, complete with athletic fields, kitchen and parking, and they got it to us quickly, eight weeks before the vote. My hat's off to all of them.

The relocation planning involved coordinating with the State Education Department, because of the potential regulatory obstacle created by the former Tillson Elementary School being just outside the border of our district. That the state moved so quickly to wipe out that obstacle indicates a strong interest in Albany in helping this project along, which allays fears that the state aid we've been offered to offset the cost of construction does not have firm support for its continuance in Albany.

Look at what's going on neighboring districts in Ulster County resulting from financial miscalculations by school boards and administrators. We don't have those problems in our district.

If you read the recent articles in which local superintendents were interviewed about their fears of looming operating-aid cuts, all but one of them were expressing near-panic. The one that was calm, and said she was confident her district was well-positioned and creative enough to weather any storm into which Albany may throw the operating budget, was Maria Rice of the New Paltz school district, one of the top-rated school systems in the country. This is the same superintendent who immediately assembled the district's 24 best volunteers from the community, middle-school administrators, teachers, support staff and students, and got the answer to the relocation turned around with the best possible outcome in three weeks.

Who would pretend that we have reason to quake with fear that this school board and administration don't know what they're doing in calculating aid, or that they push us towards unnecessary expenses, or that they haven't done sufficient due diligence over either the educational or financial components of the renovation plan after working on it for two full years?

And why?

The exact opposite is true. We've got some outstanding people serving us right now, and they have consistently performed - as we expect and deserve - far above the rate that's usual and customary in the public school business, locally and nationally. I, for one, really appreciate that, and so do most people I know. I have every reason to trust the information they've provided to us, and every reason to support the plans they've brought to us for our approval. I'm voting yes on the middle school on February 9.

Amy Mosbacher
New Paltz

Rebecca Rotzler's Letter to the Editor 01/14/10: Smoking Gunfire

Last week a letter stated that there is no "smoking gun" on health and safety at the middle school. But while his letter was hitting the presses, the gun went off. The roof developed a leak that caused a partial ceiling collapse in the auditorium. Luckily school was out when it happened, and there was no rehearsal, gym, or community group activity going on inside. This time.

While the final cost for emergency repairs is not yet in, facilities director Steve Callahan notified the board on Wednesday that the cost would exceed $50,000 out of the operating budget. That's around what it costs to pay one teacher for a year. That means next year we'll either see that bill on our taxes or see a class shut down.

Mr. Callahan also advised that six sections of the roof appear to be in danger of suffering the same fate, all due to age. We could just let this happen, one expensive emergency at a time out of our non-aidable operating budget, the same budget that pays for salaries and programming, and pray that our luck in having them happen when students and staff are out of the room will hold up. Or we can come to grips with the reality that these structures are very old, worn out, and increasingly dangerous, and put the needed improvements into a capital budget that will have three-fifths of its costs reimbursed by the state, and solve these problems once and for all with a comprehensive combination of full renovation and new construction.

The school board isn't trying to get us to approve taxing ourselves to put velvet upholstery on the chairs or serve filet mignon in the lunch room. This is necessary work. It's been postponed for years, and will remain necessary and increasingly costly whether or not we approve the bond. The difference is, if we approve the bond, we'll get it done for less money, completely and for much longer duration, and at much lower risk of accidents. Please join me in supporting the renovation of the middle school.

Rebecca Rotzler
New Paltz

Don Roper's Letter to the Editor 01/14/10: Fish or Cut Bait

All too often history deals out bad hands that can defy correction. Witness New Paltz's narrow main street that will guarantee traffic jams forever.

Then there is that monument to dysfunctionalism: the middle school, which might be suitable for a game of hide-and-seek, but leaves something to be desired as a place of education. The New Paltz school board has, after much time, effort and thorough consultation (those who claim otherwise must have had their heads elsewhere in a place described by drill instructors but not printable in family newspapers) have produced a plan that can work.

So forget the hemming, hawing, and jawing, and get on with it. As chief justice Earl Warren used to say, "It's time to fish or cut bait."

Don Roper
New Paltz

Brian Obach's Letter to the Editor 01/14/10: Invest Now in Education

I am proud of our school-board members for having the courage to stand by the sound, responsible plan that they put forth for renovating the middle school, and I encourage voters to support them by passing the referendum in February. These dedicated community members, whom we elected to oversee our educational system, have done extensive, careful research, analysis and planning. They have listened to community input in regard to the location and design of the building and made adjustments accordingly.

I have followed the debate closely, attended a public hearing and spoke directly with school board members. They have articulately and fully responded to every issue raised by their vocal critics who continue to repeat the same discredited assertions.

The naysayers claim that it is fiscally irresponsible to be undertaking this project during an economic recession. School board members and economic experts have soundly refuted that assertion. Interest rates and building costs make this an opportune time for long-term investment. Sound financial planning requires a reasoned long-term perspective, not a panicked response to short-term economic conditions.

There is no doubt that the recession has harmed many people. But state and federal leaders need to address these issues through macro-economic policy and programs targeted to those in need. We are not going to save anyone from economic hardship by denying our children adequate educational facilities. On the contrary, investment in education is one of the most effective ways to build economic capacity and raise living standards.

The most absurd allegation put forth by the critics of this proposal is that we cannot afford to invest in environmentally sound building design. It is ridiculous to believe that we would save money by retaining wasteful, inefficient, unhealthy and environmentally damaging design features from the last century.

Our school-board members have done their homework and put forth a reasonable and responsible plan. I hope the voters will continue to support them by voting yes during the referendum in February.

Brian Obach
New Paltz

Guy Kempe's Letter to the Editor 01/14/10: The Project is Scaled Right

In consideration of the proposed middle-school project, let's start with a look at the current situation. There are not enough outlets in our middle school for the computers necessary to educate kids, let alone the wiring necessary for high-speed internet. Current classroom configurations are 30% below current state minimum requirements. As Susan Zimet said when running for a seat in the state senate, "Education will open doors and pave the way for good-paying jobs and quality of life. Our children must be provided with the skills and tools necessary to compete in a global economy." "It is our responsibility and obligation to provide a learning environment that is safe, conducive to learning and available to all."

1) In 2005, a state survey of the middle school said it was "questionable that the building can continue to serve the community for an extended period of time without major renovations." Because education is central to our core values as a community, doing nothing is not an option. The "band-aid" approach (repairs only) could end up costing us more than renovating on site - the cost is estimated to be $10 million every ten years or so - without improving building function and efficiency, resolving any of the educational, justice (ADA compliance), environmental and safety issues. Over time, it would cost us more and accomplish much less.

2) Renovating the school on the current village site is projected to cost $49.8 million. This choice may sound costly - extravagant, even - but I have come to understand it is the fiscally responsible choice. More expensive renovation concepts were proposed and considered by the school board, but the board chose compromise and took a middle road renovation-build, new-combination scenario. I am convinced that this project has been scaled to meet the needs of the community. Factoring in state aid, the local share is just under $30 million.

3) Building an entirely new facility elsewhere is estimated to cost $65 million, and that is without the additional cost of acquiring the needed land. Selling the current middle-school property would need to net a minimum $15 million to come close to achieving a comparable cost offset for the new building, which is an unrealistic expectation.

I think it is a good idea to re-integrate the district office back into the middle-school site, in the center of our community rather than on the periphery of the district. The current temporary offices cost nearly $100,000 a year in rent, a cost that goes away if offices are relocated back to the middle school site.

Here is the real bottom line: in New Paltz we take pride in caring for and educating children, K-12 and beyond. Let's not make it easy for elected public officials to turn their backs on public education now that their children have grown and gone off to private college. I understand that property taxes will increase somewhat, and proportionally increase taxes on the million-dollar homes of wealthy county legislators. But being a higher-tax community with excellent schools is not as bad as some other things that might be said of us.

Guy Kempe
New Paltz

Alan Stout's Letter to the Editor 01/14/10: The Problem Won't Go Away

Everyone in the New Paltz school district knows that something needs to be done about the middle-school problem, but some people don't seem to understand that we're going to have to pay for it. One way or another, our taxes will have to be increased for the sake of our children.

The school board has spent almost five years studying the problem. Many board members have given countless hours of their time to work out the best solution for the students and for the community. No one who is opposing the middle school has really studied the situation in the same depth. Opposers are simply against a tax increase, any tax increase.

But the middle-school problem is not going to go away. It will just get more expensive. One thing I have in common with the middle-school opponents is that I don't like to see big tax increases either. That's why I think we should all vote yes and get this project going as soon as possible. Let's not waste ten million dollars on emergency repairs.

We should recall Benjamin Franklin's famous words that "... in this world nothing is certain but death and taxes." Any New Paltz taxpayer who expects to live for a few more years is going to have to help pay for the middle school.

A corollary to Franklin's observation is that "delay costs more money." Check with almost any economist or read the business news. Experts agree that both interest rates and construction costs are comparatively low at this time. Costs are certain to rise as the economy recovers. Right now is the right time to renovate the New Paltz Middle School.

Alan Stout
New Paltz

Friday, January 15, 2010

Lagusta Yearwood's Letter to the Editor -01/14/10: I'M NO MONSTER

I've been closely following the debate about the middle-school renovations. There have been numerous long-winded letters back and forth about the project. But some key common sense seems to have been lost in the shuffle.

The facts:

The middle school must be renovated. After a lengthy process of public input, the school board decided to renovate rather than to build from scratch. This was a wise decision.

We all know how renovations go: the longer you wait, the more you pay. Thus, time is of the essence. The building is not safe for children or anyone else. The problems are real.

Many have attempted to mislead the community about the true costs of the renovation. Even in New Paltz, there are members of the tired old right wing who are constantly incredulous that living in a community means paying into a common fund to be used for the common good. These people have been whipped up into a froth by Fox News and typo-ridden hate-mongering websites warning of the "socialist" dangers of paying taxes. We need do nothing more than ignore them. Their facts are incorrect, which should come as no surprise.

The true fact is this: If your home is valued at about $300,000, your taxes will increase about $54 per year for four years, and then will decrease each year until the debt is paid off.

I don't even like children all that much, but if I wasn't willing to pay $54 per year to ensure that they could go to school in a building that wasn't at risk of hurting them, I'd truly be a monster.

Lagusta Yearwood
New Paltz

Steve Casa's Letter to the Editor 01/14/10: An Opportune Investment

Being a lifelong educator and someone who has dedicated a majority of his free time to young people and their development, I felt the need to contribute to the discussion regarding the middle-school renovation in New Paltz. We all know that the middle school is in dire need of renovation. This is a fact. My fervent support for this renovation has to do with my experiences with students and educators that I've had the pleasure to work with, along with a simple formula that I learned about in college finance.

I have 20 years of experience in schools as a teacher and coach, and for the last five years I have worked for a non-profit that helps reform high schools around the country. I have been in hundreds of different school buildings, many in a similar state as the middle school. The reality is that facilities do make a difference, not only in a child's attitude toward learning but also in staff morale, attendance for both students and educators -- along with giving all stakeholders the best possible venue for teaching and learning. I have seen both sides of the spectrum, and there is a positive difference when facilities are state-of-the-art.

If we want the best for our children and community we must make sacrifices, sometimes at inopportune times. However I don't believe this is an inopportune time. My belief is that we must vote yes and here's why.

Our $49-million investment is worth just that in today's dollars; with an average inflation rate of 2.82% over the last five years, that $49 million will only purchase $44,970,401 if we were to wait three years to start the project, $42,469,833 if we start in five years, and $36,809,933 if we waited ten years. We also must add the cost of band-aid upgrades and fixes while we postpone our investment and wait for a better market.

Waiting would be prohibitive and a less prudent investment. Good investors, the most successful investors, buy into down markets, and that is why we must all make the sacrifice now for our children and educators. We've all lamented about missing opportunities for good investments, let's not miss this one.

I am a single parent, with two children in the district, who owns a home in the town of New Paltz and who like everyone else feels the pinch of the current economy. Tax increases affect me as they affect us all; nonetheless, I see the value in this investment for our children and their future. In fact, my daughter, who is in fifth grade, will be directly affected by the adjustments that will be necessary while the project is completed. However, this issue is much larger than just my daughter. This is about all children in our community for years to come. Please join me in voting yes for this savvy, long-term investment in our children.

Stephen T. Casa
New Paltz

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Crumbling Roof? School Board Approves Emergency Fix at Middle School: New Paltz Times 01/14/10

by Mike Townshend

With New Paltz Middle School's roof partially crumbling under the weight of rain damage and snow, the school board approved a $50,000 emergency repair last week. Water had been leaking from the ceiling in certain parts of the building, and eventually "part of the auditorium ceiling had collapsed," according to Stephen Callahan, facilities manager for the schools.

The collapsed snow guards on the old roof were the source of the problem. The middle school's roof has recessed gutters. The snow guards at the school are a strip or strips of copper - nowadays, stainless steel is the metal of choice - that hold snow back so it doesn't rush into and overtax the drains. "They're bent flat against the roof and they serve no function now," the facilities manager explained.

A number of drains along that section of the roof had also failed, leading to the collapse.

The $50,000 price tag pushed the repair onto the January 6 agenda, school board president David Dukler said.

According to Callahan, this part of the roof is just one of six parts in dire need of repair. The other five sections of roof could fail in the near future.

At first the school board wasn't convinced that it should address the problem immediately. "There is some possibility that this roof is going to be demolished," school board vice president Don Kerr said. "I don't want to spend all this money if it is just going to be demolished,"

Trustee Steven Greenfield called the roof one of the contributing elements leading up to the renovation of the middle school. "Where do we go with that roof if the public chooses not to replace the building?" he asked. Voters will decide February 9 on a bond for the proposed $50-million comprehensive renovation project.

Moisture and mold would become a big concern if the roof isn't fixed right now. The architects in charge of the renovation project, Rhinebeck Architecture & Planning, gave the school board a strong suggestion that the roof be fixed immediately.

New materials used to fix the building will likely be disassembled and reused if the renovation bond is supported by voters, Callahan said.

School board members voted to pass the measure, which allows the district to spend up to $50,000 to fix the roof. Potentially, the repair costs could be lower than that fully authorized amount.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Schedule for Upcoming Middle School Project Presentations Released

The New Paltz Central School District has announced the dates for a series of presentations regarding the upcoming Middle School Capital Project Vote that will be held in a variety of locations. Dates, times and locations.

January 27 7:00 PM Lenape Elementary School
February 3 7:00 PM Board of Education Meeting at the High School
February 4 6:30 PM Tours of the Middle School
February 4 7:00 PM New Paltz Middle School Gym

From the announcement: "These presentations come after years of discussion and planning about how to address the aged Middle School facility, which was built in 1930. After reviewing and revising numerous options, the Board has agreed on a plan that uses a combination of renovation and new construction to address the failing infrastructure and educational space deficiencies, as well as meets specific District spatial goals.

While the Board is acutely aware of the current economic conditions facing our nation, plans to address the Middle School issues have been under discussion for many years. Waiting for a better time to present the culmination of their work would likely result in substantially higher costs. According to the District’s professional consultants from Rhinebeck Architecture & Planning, the conditions offered by the present economy are expected to provide the District with the opportunity to secure project bids for less cost than what has been available in recent years. Securing bids soon will also help safeguard the District from cost escalations that will occur when the market shows greater improvement in the next few years, as is predicted. Aside from the effort to save as much money as possible for the community in the long run, the health/safety and educational needs of the students are such that the Board of Education and Superintendent Maria Rice feel that it would be irresponsible for them to delay this decision any further.
"

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Presentation on the Project at Duzine this Wednesday, 7pm

Reminder: there will be a Presentation on the Project at Duzine this Wednesday, 7pm

Friday, January 8, 2010