I have been on the fence for the past several months about the proposed New Paltz Middle School renovation. I’ve been listening to the arguments pro and con, and thinking about what this means for the future of New Paltz. I have decided to vote YES to the proposed renovation, and I urge my fellow New Paltz residents to do so as well.
My reasons are pretty straightforward:
1) The school badly needs more than a band-aid fix, and it makes economic sense to make this a partially state-funded capital project, rather than a recurring operational expense that we have to pay for entirely ourselves. I don’t want the school board to have to choose between school infrastructure and teachers in the future – which is what will happen if we muddle along the way we have been for years.
2) Having one of our four public schools located within the village is a great asset. Our kids have one school where they are not totally dependent on school buses or mommy and daddy for transportation. Our daughter learned about New Paltz – and about independence -- by being able to walk into the village with friends after school. In many towns, this is not possible due to the far-flung locations of their schools. We need to value opportunities to get our kids walking and riding their bicycles. The current middle school location delivers this.
3) There have been a lot of numbers thrown around about the cost of this project, but the bottom line for me is this: An average monthly payment of less than $14 per month for the average homeowner. For people with lower than average value homes, the cost will be less.
4) The school board has spent several years researching this fully and conscientiously, with credible professional consultants coming up with the plans. A generous contingency is build into the final number, so the final cost may well end up being less than anticipated. Do I wish the project were less expensive? Of course! But I truly believe that this investment in our community will pay dividends for decades, well beyond the cost of this bond.
5) Some of the most popular places to live in the Hudson Valley also have some of the best school districts, with well-functioning school facilities. I’d like New Paltz to remain one of these. As it stands, my family will only directly benefit from this project for one year. And, our son will be part of the group that has to relocate to the Tillson school for a year. But this investment will continue to make New Paltz a place of choice to live and raise a family in, and this will help our quality of life and our property values.
6) This decision is not a choice between a $14 per month increase in our taxes, or zero increase. If we don’t renovate comprehensively, we will be faced with ongoing repair needs at the middle school which will continue to bleed us as a community.
7) Finally – bonding this project and spreading the cost over 20 years is a time-honored practice for financing public infrastructure – and ensuring that newcomers to our great town will contribute just as current residents will.
Seth McKee
New Paltz
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Amy Mosbacher's Letter to the Editor 02/04/10: Make an Informed Vote
In order to make an informed vote, you need to have accurate facts:
* Middle School Project budget is $49.8M: the local share is $29.8M and state aid will cover $20M
* District is in excellent financial shape with a high credit rating and current budget year is running at a surplus
* Board has confirmed the project will not break ground if state aid is not approved
* State building aid has never been cut and Paterson’s proposed budget for next year increases building aid by $222M
* Architects and construction managers:
· Specialize in renovation of historic, green, high performance public school buildings
· Never exceeded budget on a project or missed a deadline for completion
· Never been sued
· Base costs on regional prices, allowance for unforeseen “unknowns”: 10% contingency, 10% in construction
* By law, district cannot spend any more money than is approved in bond; if costs come in lower, loan will be for lower actual cost
* Interest rates at historic lows and will be locked in for 20 years (state aid offsets interest and principal)
* Labor costs are low right now – bids are expected to be lower than estimated cost
* Tax impact conservatively estimates high at 4.5% - actual rates should be lower
* For a median valued home ($297K) tax impact will be an average of about $14 per month for the life of the loan; cumulative total over 20 years about $3200
* Cost of doing “Nothing”, an unviable alternative, is $10M in emergency repairs and projected to cost about $10M every 10-15 years, very possibly could end up costing more than proposed project without systematically addressing any of the safety, health, environmental, equity, or educational issues
* There are no major repairs needed at Duzine, Lenape, and the High School in near future, all had significant work done in recently (much of it paid for with State aid Excel funding) with no big issues remaining
* Current Middle School:
· Significant health concerns due to failed systems and lack of air circulation
· Layout creates safety concerns and accessibility issues, frustrates team teaching, is a labyrinth, and on average rooms are 30% under state requirements
· Technologically insufficient for contemporary education
* Proposed design:
· Entirely new classroom wing increasing day lighting, fresh air, proper climate control; resolves layout, security, and accessibility issues
· Actual instruction time increased by at least 25 minutes every day!
· District office back to Middle School campus in the renovated 1930’s historic building, saving $87K per year in rental costs, ensuring entire project aid will be based on better renovation aid ratios
· Solar for energy and water heater, possibly geothermal heating, many Green advantages and building techniques greatly increasing energy efficiency and lowering operating costs
· Strengthens “house” method of middle school education, as widely practiced in New Paltz and elsewhere, updates building to appropriately provide education for our children in the 21st century
Amy Mosbacher
Middle School YES!
* Middle School Project budget is $49.8M: the local share is $29.8M and state aid will cover $20M
* District is in excellent financial shape with a high credit rating and current budget year is running at a surplus
* Board has confirmed the project will not break ground if state aid is not approved
* State building aid has never been cut and Paterson’s proposed budget for next year increases building aid by $222M
* Architects and construction managers:
· Specialize in renovation of historic, green, high performance public school buildings
· Never exceeded budget on a project or missed a deadline for completion
· Never been sued
· Base costs on regional prices, allowance for unforeseen “unknowns”: 10% contingency, 10% in construction
* By law, district cannot spend any more money than is approved in bond; if costs come in lower, loan will be for lower actual cost
* Interest rates at historic lows and will be locked in for 20 years (state aid offsets interest and principal)
* Labor costs are low right now – bids are expected to be lower than estimated cost
* Tax impact conservatively estimates high at 4.5% - actual rates should be lower
* For a median valued home ($297K) tax impact will be an average of about $14 per month for the life of the loan; cumulative total over 20 years about $3200
* Cost of doing “Nothing”, an unviable alternative, is $10M in emergency repairs and projected to cost about $10M every 10-15 years, very possibly could end up costing more than proposed project without systematically addressing any of the safety, health, environmental, equity, or educational issues
* There are no major repairs needed at Duzine, Lenape, and the High School in near future, all had significant work done in recently (much of it paid for with State aid Excel funding) with no big issues remaining
* Current Middle School:
· Significant health concerns due to failed systems and lack of air circulation
· Layout creates safety concerns and accessibility issues, frustrates team teaching, is a labyrinth, and on average rooms are 30% under state requirements
· Technologically insufficient for contemporary education
* Proposed design:
· Entirely new classroom wing increasing day lighting, fresh air, proper climate control; resolves layout, security, and accessibility issues
· Actual instruction time increased by at least 25 minutes every day!
· District office back to Middle School campus in the renovated 1930’s historic building, saving $87K per year in rental costs, ensuring entire project aid will be based on better renovation aid ratios
· Solar for energy and water heater, possibly geothermal heating, many Green advantages and building techniques greatly increasing energy efficiency and lowering operating costs
· Strengthens “house” method of middle school education, as widely practiced in New Paltz and elsewhere, updates building to appropriately provide education for our children in the 21st century
Amy Mosbacher
Middle School YES!
Saturday, February 6, 2010
SNOW OR SHINE
Impact of Inclement Weather On the Middle School Project Vote
The New Paltz Central School District will be holding a Bond Vote for the Middle School Project on February 9, 2010 between the hours of 12:00 Noon and 9:00 PM at the New Paltz Central High School located at South Putt Corners Road, New Paltz, New York.
Superintendent Maria Rice announced today that in the event schools are closed due to inclement weather, as prescribed by law, the Bond Vote will take place as scheduled. It is important that all qualified voters know that the polling place will be open unless a State of Emergency is declared by Ulster County.
Questions regarding this may be directed to Beverly Sickler, District Clerk, at 256-4020.
The New Paltz Central School District will be holding a Bond Vote for the Middle School Project on February 9, 2010 between the hours of 12:00 Noon and 9:00 PM at the New Paltz Central High School located at South Putt Corners Road, New Paltz, New York.
Superintendent Maria Rice announced today that in the event schools are closed due to inclement weather, as prescribed by law, the Bond Vote will take place as scheduled. It is important that all qualified voters know that the polling place will be open unless a State of Emergency is declared by Ulster County.
Questions regarding this may be directed to Beverly Sickler, District Clerk, at 256-4020.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Bike-Ped's Letter to the Editor 02/04/10: Committee Supports Middle School project
The following resolution passed unanimously at the November 2009 meeting of the New Paltz Bicycle-Pedestrian Committee:
Whereas the mission statement of the New Paltz Bicycle-Pedestrian Committee reads as follows: "Bicycle and foot traffic are means of transportation which contribute to a healthy, sustainable community with a good quality of life. The mission of the committee is to encourage widespread, safe and responsible use of these forms of transportation and to advocate for better and safer conditions, access and facilities for walking and cycling."
And whereas maintaining the middle school in a location central to neighborhoods of greater population density at the same time that it encourages students to walk and bicycle to school is consonant with the committee's vision of New Paltz as a walkable, bikeable community.
And whereas one aim of the renovation of the New Paltz Middle School is to create a community school that offers students the "green" option of getting to school on foot and on bicycle.
And whereas maximizing the energy efficiency of the renovated building is consonant with committee's underlying "green" aim of promoting non-motorized transportation.
Be it resolved that the New Paltz Bicycle-Pedestrian Committee hereby endorses the current Board of Education proposal to renovate the New Paltz Middle School in a way that maximizes our "green" potential.
William Weinstein
on behalf of the town and village members of the New Paltz Bicycle-Pedestrian Committee
Whereas the mission statement of the New Paltz Bicycle-Pedestrian Committee reads as follows: "Bicycle and foot traffic are means of transportation which contribute to a healthy, sustainable community with a good quality of life. The mission of the committee is to encourage widespread, safe and responsible use of these forms of transportation and to advocate for better and safer conditions, access and facilities for walking and cycling."
And whereas maintaining the middle school in a location central to neighborhoods of greater population density at the same time that it encourages students to walk and bicycle to school is consonant with the committee's vision of New Paltz as a walkable, bikeable community.
And whereas one aim of the renovation of the New Paltz Middle School is to create a community school that offers students the "green" option of getting to school on foot and on bicycle.
And whereas maximizing the energy efficiency of the renovated building is consonant with committee's underlying "green" aim of promoting non-motorized transportation.
Be it resolved that the New Paltz Bicycle-Pedestrian Committee hereby endorses the current Board of Education proposal to renovate the New Paltz Middle School in a way that maximizes our "green" potential.
William Weinstein
on behalf of the town and village members of the New Paltz Bicycle-Pedestrian Committee
Larry Braun's Letter to the Editor 02/04/10: Voting YES on Feb 9th has Great Many Upsides
The cost of education is the price we pay for civilization, freedom and democracy. The cost of renovating the New Paltz Middle School is part of the price for this liberty.
Our school building constructed in 1930 was paid for during the Great Depression. These were times so hard those of us under 70 can't even imagine how people could live through ten years of that kind of privation. That costly sacrifice proved invaluable because WW II would change the world dramatically. By its conclusion in 1945, the era of the one-room schoolhouse had to end. The school district had gotten a jump-start and building new schools every few decades kept up with the changes in population, culture and teaching methods. Duzine came online in the '60s, followed by the high school and then Lenape in the '90s. Education is a living entity. In New Paltz and Gardiner it was being nourished improved, and kept up-to-date. The middle school renovation will continue that evolution.
We must thank previous generations who built our schools, educated our teachers and maintained and improved the education system that allowed us to thrive. The few hundred dollars we are asked to pony up each year for the renovation project is a small price we'll pay to preserve our liberty.
In fact, the renovation project also constitutes an effective regional economic stimulus. Most of the $30M local taxpayers will contribute and the $20M of state aid (that is in a dedicated fund that cannot be rescinded) will likely be spent locally and regionally for jobs and materials. This will help calm the after-shocks of the recession, which has technically ended, but is still felt by the unemployed and under-water mortgage holders.
Voting YES on Feb. 9 has a great many up-sides. Regardless of the negative message on the flyer I found illegally taped to the side of my mailbox by the so-called UniteOurDistrict.com, there are no good reasons to vote NO on Feb. 9. Their "TOP 10 REASONS WHY IT'S OK TO VOTE NO" is filled with distortions, creative accounting and untruths.
There is every good reason to vote YES. Let's support the public servants on the Board of Education who have given up countless hours of their free time to forge a plan that will continue providing the best education for the children of New Paltz and Gardiner.
Larry Braun
Gardiner
Our school building constructed in 1930 was paid for during the Great Depression. These were times so hard those of us under 70 can't even imagine how people could live through ten years of that kind of privation. That costly sacrifice proved invaluable because WW II would change the world dramatically. By its conclusion in 1945, the era of the one-room schoolhouse had to end. The school district had gotten a jump-start and building new schools every few decades kept up with the changes in population, culture and teaching methods. Duzine came online in the '60s, followed by the high school and then Lenape in the '90s. Education is a living entity. In New Paltz and Gardiner it was being nourished improved, and kept up-to-date. The middle school renovation will continue that evolution.
We must thank previous generations who built our schools, educated our teachers and maintained and improved the education system that allowed us to thrive. The few hundred dollars we are asked to pony up each year for the renovation project is a small price we'll pay to preserve our liberty.
In fact, the renovation project also constitutes an effective regional economic stimulus. Most of the $30M local taxpayers will contribute and the $20M of state aid (that is in a dedicated fund that cannot be rescinded) will likely be spent locally and regionally for jobs and materials. This will help calm the after-shocks of the recession, which has technically ended, but is still felt by the unemployed and under-water mortgage holders.
Voting YES on Feb. 9 has a great many up-sides. Regardless of the negative message on the flyer I found illegally taped to the side of my mailbox by the so-called UniteOurDistrict.com, there are no good reasons to vote NO on Feb. 9. Their "TOP 10 REASONS WHY IT'S OK TO VOTE NO" is filled with distortions, creative accounting and untruths.
There is every good reason to vote YES. Let's support the public servants on the Board of Education who have given up countless hours of their free time to forge a plan that will continue providing the best education for the children of New Paltz and Gardiner.
Larry Braun
Gardiner
MariAnn Connelly Sennett's Letter to the Editor: We Need To Do This Project
Allegations from opponents to the New Paltz Middle School Project, followed by the truth:
1. According to district reports, existing facilities are adequate, safe and doing a great job.
TRUTH: A 2005 building survey concluded: "it is questionable that the building can continue to serve the community for an extended period of time without major renovations."
2. $77M is not the way to handle typical repairs and upgrades.
TRUTH: The school is in dire need of much more than "typical needs and upgrades." The $77M cited above does not factor in state aid, estimated at $20M. State building aid has never been cut. The aid is also applied to the interest, approximately another $5M. The local share is $29.8M, with interest it is a total of about $40M over the 20-year bond.
3. The school board plans a 4% tax increase in 2010/11: the district will still be short $1.2M.
TRUTH: This year's budget is running at a surplus. The board has committed to limiting annual tax increases to 4% or less; last year it was 3%. Looking forward, this project would be contained within the historical 4% rate, not in addition to the 4%.
4. State aid cuts coming, stimulus funding ending and school taxes will rise even more with bond.
TRUTH: Educational analysts predict federal funding in K-12 education to increase, not decrease.
5. Teachers, programs, sports, after-school activities are on the chopping block.
TRUTH: This is a capital project, a completely separate budget line from operating. Governor Paterson has proposed an additional $222M in school building aid for the coming year. Paterson's proposed cuts to day-to-day operations that may affect sports and after-school programs is unrelated to building projects.
6. No contingency plan in place, yet other school districts responsibly published plans for budgetary crisis detailing cuts.
TRUTH: The school district is in the second year of a multi-year budgeting process while planning three years into the future.
7. $80M? $100M?
TRUTH: See #2, these are scare tactic inflated figures.
8. Most of the district's reserve funds will be used for the middle school project, jeopardizing needed repairs for our other three schools.
TRUTH: The reserves being used are capital reserves, monies purposely saved for building projects. There are no major projects expected at the other school buildings. In 2005 over 600 items were noted in need of attention, district wide. Since then, all big ticket and urgent items on that list have been completed for every school except the middle school.
9. Green is good, but this plan has no comparative energy audit data to demonstrate the energy and cost efficiency of this project.
TRUTH: The middle school is a fossil-fuel nightmare negatively impacting the health of students and pocketbooks through outrageous heating costs.
10. The school board put forward a multi-million project which violates their own mandate to provide district with comprehensive master plan.
TRUTH: See #8, all other buildings have been attended to. Opponents requesting more planning are pure obstructionists. We need to do this project now.
MariAnn Connolly Sennett
New Paltz
1. According to district reports, existing facilities are adequate, safe and doing a great job.
TRUTH: A 2005 building survey concluded: "it is questionable that the building can continue to serve the community for an extended period of time without major renovations."
2. $77M is not the way to handle typical repairs and upgrades.
TRUTH: The school is in dire need of much more than "typical needs and upgrades." The $77M cited above does not factor in state aid, estimated at $20M. State building aid has never been cut. The aid is also applied to the interest, approximately another $5M. The local share is $29.8M, with interest it is a total of about $40M over the 20-year bond.
3. The school board plans a 4% tax increase in 2010/11: the district will still be short $1.2M.
TRUTH: This year's budget is running at a surplus. The board has committed to limiting annual tax increases to 4% or less; last year it was 3%. Looking forward, this project would be contained within the historical 4% rate, not in addition to the 4%.
4. State aid cuts coming, stimulus funding ending and school taxes will rise even more with bond.
TRUTH: Educational analysts predict federal funding in K-12 education to increase, not decrease.
5. Teachers, programs, sports, after-school activities are on the chopping block.
TRUTH: This is a capital project, a completely separate budget line from operating. Governor Paterson has proposed an additional $222M in school building aid for the coming year. Paterson's proposed cuts to day-to-day operations that may affect sports and after-school programs is unrelated to building projects.
6. No contingency plan in place, yet other school districts responsibly published plans for budgetary crisis detailing cuts.
TRUTH: The school district is in the second year of a multi-year budgeting process while planning three years into the future.
7. $80M? $100M?
TRUTH: See #2, these are scare tactic inflated figures.
8. Most of the district's reserve funds will be used for the middle school project, jeopardizing needed repairs for our other three schools.
TRUTH: The reserves being used are capital reserves, monies purposely saved for building projects. There are no major projects expected at the other school buildings. In 2005 over 600 items were noted in need of attention, district wide. Since then, all big ticket and urgent items on that list have been completed for every school except the middle school.
9. Green is good, but this plan has no comparative energy audit data to demonstrate the energy and cost efficiency of this project.
TRUTH: The middle school is a fossil-fuel nightmare negatively impacting the health of students and pocketbooks through outrageous heating costs.
10. The school board put forward a multi-million project which violates their own mandate to provide district with comprehensive master plan.
TRUTH: See #8, all other buildings have been attended to. Opponents requesting more planning are pure obstructionists. We need to do this project now.
MariAnn Connolly Sennett
New Paltz
Addie Haas' Letter to the Editor 02/04/10: An Open Letter to the People Behind Unite Our District
STOP! Stop defacing our lovely landscape with your negative billboards.
STOP! Stop littering our mailboxes with your flyers.
STOP! Stop wasting your money on propaganda.
STOP! Stop demeaning the intelligent people of New Paltz and Gardiner with your sound-bite promotions. We are smart enough to see beyond unsupported words.
STOP! Stop dividing our school district. Come together to support our fairly elected, hard-working school board.
STOP! Stop abusing the children of our community. Our children deserve a school that is comfortably heated, has running hot and cold water, a roof that does not leak, is ADA compliant and meets up-to-date standards of energy efficiency, health and safety.
STOP! Stop being so short-sighted. If we wait to correct the difficulties in our middle school, the situation will only get worse and the renovation more costly.
START! Start to think through the issues and JOIN your fellow citizens in voting YES for the middle school proposal on Feb. 9. This would be a productive way to Unite Our District.
Addie Haas
New Paltz
STOP! Stop littering our mailboxes with your flyers.
STOP! Stop wasting your money on propaganda.
STOP! Stop demeaning the intelligent people of New Paltz and Gardiner with your sound-bite promotions. We are smart enough to see beyond unsupported words.
STOP! Stop dividing our school district. Come together to support our fairly elected, hard-working school board.
STOP! Stop abusing the children of our community. Our children deserve a school that is comfortably heated, has running hot and cold water, a roof that does not leak, is ADA compliant and meets up-to-date standards of energy efficiency, health and safety.
STOP! Stop being so short-sighted. If we wait to correct the difficulties in our middle school, the situation will only get worse and the renovation more costly.
START! Start to think through the issues and JOIN your fellow citizens in voting YES for the middle school proposal on Feb. 9. This would be a productive way to Unite Our District.
Addie Haas
New Paltz
Mathew Swerdloff's Letter to the Editor 02/04/10: A Few Inconvenient Truths to Consider
The opponents of the New Paltz Middle School renovation project are working hard to defeat the much needed middle school renovation plan. They warned the Board of Education some time ago that by putting this issue up for a vote the board would "divide the community." I don't have a problem with a divided community. It can be a sign of intelligent discourse on all sides of an issue. I do have a problem with a community that is divided intentionally to further the ends of a group's hidden agenda. Under the Orwellian banner "Unite Our District" the anti-renovation forces have crafted a campaign of misinformation, fear and deception.
Near Water Street Market there is a large sign claiming the project will cost $80 million. Elsewhere in the village there are lawn signs declaring it to be $100 million. These signs were posted by the same group of individuals. The fact is that the total project loan will be $29.75 million. The total cost is $49.78 million less $20.03 million dollars in state aid. Check the district's website for a full breakdown of how this cost is calculated and how state construction aid will benefit us now. The inconvenient truth Unite Our District does not want you to know: The project will cost the average taxpayer less than $13 per month through an approximate tax increase of 1% per year for four years.
I received a call last week urging me to vote against this project. I was told that the project would "quadruple the district's debt." This statement is intentionally misleading. Every school district in New York borrows money to finance major projects. Public school districts are not allowed by law to save large amounts of money for projects such as this. They are limited as to what they can have as a reserve. The reserve of the district is nowhere near large enough to finance this project, nor could it be. The inconvenient truth Unite Our District does not want you to know: To complete any project, any district would have to incur debt. This is a simple fact of public education in New York. Using hyperbole like "quadruple their debt" is blatantly misleading.
Unite Our District claims that they were not involved in the planning process and have asked the board to study this issue further. This is simply ludicrous. The board has been planning this for YEARS. Any community member with input to share has been welcome to speak at public meetings, which are held twice a month. Some of us chose to do so and were, in fact, a part of developing the plan now before us. The inconvenient truth Unite Our District does not want you to know: The Board of Education has been discussing this in public meetings since 2005.
Some of those against this project claim that the Board of Education is not qualified to run a project of this scale and that the plans are not detailed enough. The Board of Education provides oversight in the broadest sense. They do not get involved with day-to-day management of the district or a capital project. For this they hire experienced administrators and in this case an architect and construction manager. The inconvenient truth Unite Our District does not want you to know: The construction manager has reviewed the plans and found them adequate enough to create a cost estimate. More detailed plans would be developed, as per state law, if the project is approved.
I urge all of us to be diligent about vetting the information we get from lawn signs and on the supermarket line. The facts are readily available and to me they point inescapably to only one conclusion: I will vote yes on Feb. 9. The time is right, the project is right and it's what is best for the children of New Paltz.
For the facts visit http://npcsdms.edublogs.org/ or http://newpaltzmiddleschoolyes.blogspot.com.
Mathew Swerdloff
Gardiner
Near Water Street Market there is a large sign claiming the project will cost $80 million. Elsewhere in the village there are lawn signs declaring it to be $100 million. These signs were posted by the same group of individuals. The fact is that the total project loan will be $29.75 million. The total cost is $49.78 million less $20.03 million dollars in state aid. Check the district's website for a full breakdown of how this cost is calculated and how state construction aid will benefit us now. The inconvenient truth Unite Our District does not want you to know: The project will cost the average taxpayer less than $13 per month through an approximate tax increase of 1% per year for four years.
I received a call last week urging me to vote against this project. I was told that the project would "quadruple the district's debt." This statement is intentionally misleading. Every school district in New York borrows money to finance major projects. Public school districts are not allowed by law to save large amounts of money for projects such as this. They are limited as to what they can have as a reserve. The reserve of the district is nowhere near large enough to finance this project, nor could it be. The inconvenient truth Unite Our District does not want you to know: To complete any project, any district would have to incur debt. This is a simple fact of public education in New York. Using hyperbole like "quadruple their debt" is blatantly misleading.
Unite Our District claims that they were not involved in the planning process and have asked the board to study this issue further. This is simply ludicrous. The board has been planning this for YEARS. Any community member with input to share has been welcome to speak at public meetings, which are held twice a month. Some of us chose to do so and were, in fact, a part of developing the plan now before us. The inconvenient truth Unite Our District does not want you to know: The Board of Education has been discussing this in public meetings since 2005.
Some of those against this project claim that the Board of Education is not qualified to run a project of this scale and that the plans are not detailed enough. The Board of Education provides oversight in the broadest sense. They do not get involved with day-to-day management of the district or a capital project. For this they hire experienced administrators and in this case an architect and construction manager. The inconvenient truth Unite Our District does not want you to know: The construction manager has reviewed the plans and found them adequate enough to create a cost estimate. More detailed plans would be developed, as per state law, if the project is approved.
I urge all of us to be diligent about vetting the information we get from lawn signs and on the supermarket line. The facts are readily available and to me they point inescapably to only one conclusion: I will vote yes on Feb. 9. The time is right, the project is right and it's what is best for the children of New Paltz.
For the facts visit http://npcsdms.edublogs.org/ or http://newpaltzmiddleschoolyes.blogspot.com.
Mathew Swerdloff
Gardiner
Terence Ward's Letter to the Editor 02/04/10: When To Draw the Line
Many of my fellow New Paltz residents may have seen the sign I placed in front of my home on South Chestnut Street, which proclaimed, "Homeowners are for the Middle School -- Landlords are NOT!" My home was a good location for this sign because it is not only highly visible, it's just down the street from a very expensive anti-middle school sign on a rental property. (There are several of those large signs around town, all of which are on multi-unit, non-owner-occupied buildings.)
This morning I discovered that the sign, which was secured to a tree in my yard by an Eagle Scout well acquainted with knots, was missing.
I respect the fact that people have differing views on the middle school. I welcome debate. I'm even open to change my own position, if I hear enough evidence to sway me. I do not have children in school, so I will not be swayed by emotional arguments, but I relish a factual debate.
I draw the line at supporting petty thievery to silence the opposition.
Terence Ward
New Paltz
This morning I discovered that the sign, which was secured to a tree in my yard by an Eagle Scout well acquainted with knots, was missing.
I respect the fact that people have differing views on the middle school. I welcome debate. I'm even open to change my own position, if I hear enough evidence to sway me. I do not have children in school, so I will not be swayed by emotional arguments, but I relish a factual debate.
I draw the line at supporting petty thievery to silence the opposition.
Terence Ward
New Paltz
Kevin Patrick Hodgekiss' Letter to the Editor 02/04/10: Saying Yes is the Right Thing To Do
Yes, it is okay to say "No" to your child, as the flyer I recently saw that was distributed by the "Unite Our District" group states. But when we say "no" what message are we also sending? Four years ago my youngest son graduated from the New Paltz Middle School. Every visit I commented on what wonderful teachers worked there and how awful the building was. Ask any New Paltz Middle School graduate and they will comment that it is "a dump." It always bothered me that we sent our kids to a place all day for three years they thought was a "dump." I find it hard to believe that anyone who has walked those halls has not noticed the deterioration and dilapidation of the buildings. I find it very disheartening that many of my friends and neighbors have sided with the landlords and realtors who are fighting against this renovation project, yet have walked those hallways as well. I try not to think that many of these families no longer have a need for the middle school. I have watched the videos. I've read the signs and the flyers. I've visited the web sites. I've examined the proposal. I've watch the public meetings and I have tried to follow this since the original vote was taken to renovate the old building. I was proud that my community was addressing what I saw as a long overdue educational need. Lately, I have had a change in heart. The discourse and politics are truly disturbing. Never have I thought the Board of Education wasn't being up front and fair with the community. Nowhere can I find reason to suspect anything but responsibility and thoroughness on their efforts. Certainly I see no excuse for the rude and accusatory personal statements directed at members of the board at these meetings and in the press, and to be perfectly honest, I am ashamed by them. I am totally confounded by a group that doesn't want to spend money to fix a school and is willing to spend a lot of money on full page ads and billboards to tell me. I become even more suspicious to find their signs mostly on rental properties. I find it ironic that they call their group "Unite Our District."
I once heard a wise woman say that when you visit a community, you can learn all you need to know by visiting the schools.
I understand and appreciate the financial argument of an additional tax burden on an already financially stressed community. In my family we prioritize, make choices and often sacrifice for what is necessary and most important. I will vote "yes" on the bond issue to renovate the middle school because it is necessary and our kids are important, and although it is okay to say no to them, sometimes saying yes is the right thing to do.
Kevin Patrick Hodgkiss
New Paltz
I once heard a wise woman say that when you visit a community, you can learn all you need to know by visiting the schools.
I understand and appreciate the financial argument of an additional tax burden on an already financially stressed community. In my family we prioritize, make choices and often sacrifice for what is necessary and most important. I will vote "yes" on the bond issue to renovate the middle school because it is necessary and our kids are important, and although it is okay to say no to them, sometimes saying yes is the right thing to do.
Kevin Patrick Hodgkiss
New Paltz
Renee Falanga-Brenner's Letter to the Editor 02/04/10: Why I'll Vote Yes on Feb 9th
The reason I am voting YES on Feb. 9 is simple. Our school district is in dire need of a new middle school that meets the safety and educational standards so that ALL our children have access to a public education that prepares them for a successful future. This means renovating the middle school so it offers an updated technological education in a hands-on learning environment. Our school district community has a history of band-aiding existing problems which wastes time and money. In the end it is our children who suffer the consequences.
The current and previous elected school boards have devoted MANY volunteer hours to devise a renovation that is not only cost effective but addresses the needs and concerns of the students, staff and the community. Many other individuals, such as school personnel, teachers, students, administrators and community members have also helped with this project proposal. I thank you all for your dedication and I hope and pray the vote passes. I just think about the many hours you could have been spending with your own children and family. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I am a homeowner and a parent of four New Paltz School District students. This vote will only effect my youngest child. However, one of the biggest reasons my oldest child was not able to attend the middle school was because of the inaccessibility for students who use a wheelchair. The bigger picture here is that the middle school is not truly accessible and that makes it difficult, if not impossible, for not only students with disabilities, but staff and parents to work or attend events at the school if they have a disability. At any given time a person can become a person with a disability. Again, this public school SHOULD be accessible for all!
In closing, I suggest that the citizens of New Paltz attend town planning board meetings and voice your concerns as to why we don't encourage and ALLOW businesses to locate to New Paltz. Doing so would surely pick up the tax burden on ALL homeowners. We have an exit off the Thruway...bring in those businesses that allow New Paltz residents to stay local and residents of other locales to COME TO NEW PALTZ!
So please vote YES on Feb. 9. Before you do, go to the website and read for yourself what the plan REALLY costs and what it involves (www.newpaltz.k12.ny.us).
Remember our children's successful future is ours as well!
Renee Falanga-Brenner
New Paltz
The current and previous elected school boards have devoted MANY volunteer hours to devise a renovation that is not only cost effective but addresses the needs and concerns of the students, staff and the community. Many other individuals, such as school personnel, teachers, students, administrators and community members have also helped with this project proposal. I thank you all for your dedication and I hope and pray the vote passes. I just think about the many hours you could have been spending with your own children and family. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I am a homeowner and a parent of four New Paltz School District students. This vote will only effect my youngest child. However, one of the biggest reasons my oldest child was not able to attend the middle school was because of the inaccessibility for students who use a wheelchair. The bigger picture here is that the middle school is not truly accessible and that makes it difficult, if not impossible, for not only students with disabilities, but staff and parents to work or attend events at the school if they have a disability. At any given time a person can become a person with a disability. Again, this public school SHOULD be accessible for all!
In closing, I suggest that the citizens of New Paltz attend town planning board meetings and voice your concerns as to why we don't encourage and ALLOW businesses to locate to New Paltz. Doing so would surely pick up the tax burden on ALL homeowners. We have an exit off the Thruway...bring in those businesses that allow New Paltz residents to stay local and residents of other locales to COME TO NEW PALTZ!
So please vote YES on Feb. 9. Before you do, go to the website and read for yourself what the plan REALLY costs and what it involves (www.newpaltz.k12.ny.us).
Remember our children's successful future is ours as well!
Renee Falanga-Brenner
New Paltz
Mark Rosen's Letter to the Editor 02/04/10: Support for the Middle School Project
I will be voting YES on Feb. 9 in support of the New Paltz Middle School renovation project.
Despite the signs around town that imply that the New Paltz district voters are being asked to support an $80 or $100 million dollar project, the renovation of the New Paltz Middle School actually comes with a pricetag of $49 million dollars. Of that total cost, $29 million will come from local taxpayers. The $80 and $100 million dollar figures being floated by opponents of the project do not reflect the cost of the project itself but represent the taxpayers' share of the entire debt service to be paid over the length of a 20-year loan (home buyers might not have proceeded even with their own home mortgages if they had seen only the debt service totals). When analyzing the cost and scope of the project, I would hope that voters consider the $29 million dollar figure, the portion the community will be responsible for.
Many people have voiced their concerns that the state might withdraw its support for the building project, like they have withdrawn school aid midyear across the state. What the state is able to do, and what Governor Paterson has already done, is to reduce only the state's share of districts' operating budgets, the budgets that pay the bills to run and operate schools from July to June. The state has never withdrawn support for a building project once it has commenced, nor are they legally entitled to once ground is broken. In fact, Governor Paterson's new proposed budget includes an increase in school building aid.
I fully understand that $29 million dollars is still a significant amount of money. But the recent crumbling of a section of roof at the middle school (and the subsequent expenditure to address it) convinces me that band-aid solutions are no longer an option. In the past the easy thing to do was to patch up the myriad of small, medium and large problems as they arose and to ignore the bigger picture. Unfortunately, stop gap measures will not make the problems facing the middle school disappear. The need to address the inadequacies of the building will never lessen and nor will the price tag decrease. The $29 million dollar local share of the project will buy $25 million dollars worth of improvements in a few years (and even less after that). Antiquated, inefficient, energy-guzzling heating and ventilation systems will continue to drain money from the district's annual operating budgets and cost taxpayers money, year after year, gallon of oil by gallon of oil.
I no longer have children in the New Paltz School District (my children sat in middle school basement classrooms with exposed pipes and in second floor classrooms that required opening windows in the winter, over a decade ago). But I will be supporting the renovation initiative on Feb. 9 because I think it is a necessary and responsible thing to do.
Mark Rosen
New Paltz
Despite the signs around town that imply that the New Paltz district voters are being asked to support an $80 or $100 million dollar project, the renovation of the New Paltz Middle School actually comes with a pricetag of $49 million dollars. Of that total cost, $29 million will come from local taxpayers. The $80 and $100 million dollar figures being floated by opponents of the project do not reflect the cost of the project itself but represent the taxpayers' share of the entire debt service to be paid over the length of a 20-year loan (home buyers might not have proceeded even with their own home mortgages if they had seen only the debt service totals). When analyzing the cost and scope of the project, I would hope that voters consider the $29 million dollar figure, the portion the community will be responsible for.
Many people have voiced their concerns that the state might withdraw its support for the building project, like they have withdrawn school aid midyear across the state. What the state is able to do, and what Governor Paterson has already done, is to reduce only the state's share of districts' operating budgets, the budgets that pay the bills to run and operate schools from July to June. The state has never withdrawn support for a building project once it has commenced, nor are they legally entitled to once ground is broken. In fact, Governor Paterson's new proposed budget includes an increase in school building aid.
I fully understand that $29 million dollars is still a significant amount of money. But the recent crumbling of a section of roof at the middle school (and the subsequent expenditure to address it) convinces me that band-aid solutions are no longer an option. In the past the easy thing to do was to patch up the myriad of small, medium and large problems as they arose and to ignore the bigger picture. Unfortunately, stop gap measures will not make the problems facing the middle school disappear. The need to address the inadequacies of the building will never lessen and nor will the price tag decrease. The $29 million dollar local share of the project will buy $25 million dollars worth of improvements in a few years (and even less after that). Antiquated, inefficient, energy-guzzling heating and ventilation systems will continue to drain money from the district's annual operating budgets and cost taxpayers money, year after year, gallon of oil by gallon of oil.
I no longer have children in the New Paltz School District (my children sat in middle school basement classrooms with exposed pipes and in second floor classrooms that required opening windows in the winter, over a decade ago). But I will be supporting the renovation initiative on Feb. 9 because I think it is a necessary and responsible thing to do.
Mark Rosen
New Paltz
The 49th Student Association Senate's Letter to the Editor 02/104/10: Middle School YES
Last semester, $90 million was cut from the SUNY system. This was after enduring the $143 million cut in 2008. SUNY students want education to be a New York State priority; it is as important as healthcare, public housing and environmental work.
However, state politicians chose to chip away funds from all social institutions. Money was taken away from libraries, schools, hospitals, park services and public transportation. SUNY students were outraged at the cuts which would immediately affect them as well as their families. Students on campuses across the state, as well as community groups of all shapes and sizes, gathered to speak out against the poor handling of our state's budget, but the proposed cuts were approved nonetheless.
SUNY students have not forgotten about our state's financial crisis. Political stalemates and fake compromises are unacceptable at any time in history. However, in the midst of statewide political drama, New Paltz residents have the unique opportunity to invest in renovations to the middle school. Many of us went to schools with poor heating, outdated electricity service and overcrowded lunchrooms, so when we see community members organizing a sensible plan to expand walls and revamp the energy flow, we see better opportunities for students to learn. Educational resources should be up to date, effective and environmentally friendly for all students of all ages.
The low impact tax increase necessary for these renovations will be a shining example of shared sacrifice for a more efficient and comfortable learning experience for New Paltz middle schoolers.
It is encouraging to see local leaders push a plan like this forward and we strongly support their endeavors to make learning comfortable and enjoyable for everyone.
The 49th Student Association Senate
SUNY New Paltz
However, state politicians chose to chip away funds from all social institutions. Money was taken away from libraries, schools, hospitals, park services and public transportation. SUNY students were outraged at the cuts which would immediately affect them as well as their families. Students on campuses across the state, as well as community groups of all shapes and sizes, gathered to speak out against the poor handling of our state's budget, but the proposed cuts were approved nonetheless.
SUNY students have not forgotten about our state's financial crisis. Political stalemates and fake compromises are unacceptable at any time in history. However, in the midst of statewide political drama, New Paltz residents have the unique opportunity to invest in renovations to the middle school. Many of us went to schools with poor heating, outdated electricity service and overcrowded lunchrooms, so when we see community members organizing a sensible plan to expand walls and revamp the energy flow, we see better opportunities for students to learn. Educational resources should be up to date, effective and environmentally friendly for all students of all ages.
The low impact tax increase necessary for these renovations will be a shining example of shared sacrifice for a more efficient and comfortable learning experience for New Paltz middle schoolers.
It is encouraging to see local leaders push a plan like this forward and we strongly support their endeavors to make learning comfortable and enjoyable for everyone.
The 49th Student Association Senate
SUNY New Paltz
Glenn Gidaly's Letter to the Editor 02/04/10: Helping to Pay for the New Middle School
As a parent of two children who went through New Paltz Schools, I am aware that those who came before me paid for all of the facilities that my kids were fortunate enough to be able to use. Now, it is my turn to continue to support public education and to help pay for the new middle school, for all of the kids who will use it.
A point of reality that perhaps should be considered; historically, this is a very advantageous time to be seeking construction bids on public projects. My professional work in both the Albany and Hudson Valley regions involves numerous public projects that have been bid-out in the past six months; bridges, roads, sidewalks, municipal buildings, water/sewer facilities and green-related technologies. In just about every case, the construction bids have come in at or below the project engineer's estimate.
Clearly, contractors are seeking to secure projects in order to keep their people working. This speaks volumes in terms of moving the middle school project forward at this point in time. Let's take advantage of the fact that there is a large pool of reputable contractors with a skilled labor force standing ready to deliver quality work. We can meet our decades known obligation to revamp the middle school and do so in a cost effective manner.
Glenn Gidaly
Gardiner
A point of reality that perhaps should be considered; historically, this is a very advantageous time to be seeking construction bids on public projects. My professional work in both the Albany and Hudson Valley regions involves numerous public projects that have been bid-out in the past six months; bridges, roads, sidewalks, municipal buildings, water/sewer facilities and green-related technologies. In just about every case, the construction bids have come in at or below the project engineer's estimate.
Clearly, contractors are seeking to secure projects in order to keep their people working. This speaks volumes in terms of moving the middle school project forward at this point in time. Let's take advantage of the fact that there is a large pool of reputable contractors with a skilled labor force standing ready to deliver quality work. We can meet our decades known obligation to revamp the middle school and do so in a cost effective manner.
Glenn Gidaly
Gardiner
Kevin O'Connor's Letter to the Editor 02/04/10: State-of-the-art Middle School
I support keeping the New Paltz Middle School where it is. I believe from almost any perspective -- land use, smart growth, economic development, safe communities -- you name it, it makes sense compared to building new elsewhere. When I look at the alternative of repairing the middle school, it really strikes me as throwing good money after bad.
I must say that I'm impressed by the dedication of past and present school board members who have volunteered their time to guide our school district and by the performance of Superintendent Maria Rice and Assistant Superintendent Richard Linden. Most have been at this for several years and I place a high value on their commitment, collective judgment and recommendation. They are now facing a lot of Monday morning quarterbacking.
When I look at the fiscal impacts, I see this as a real bargain. The math is straightforward. It is a $76M project when you add in the interest costs. The state picks up $31M to $20M for the capital and $11M for interest. Net local cost is $46M. Add in the existing capital debt, use the restricted capital reserve, factor in retiring capital debt and you end up with a real fiscal impact of 1.1% increase per year for only four years. For a median price home, this will cost you $163 more on average than you're paying now for each of the next 20 years and you get a state-of-the art middle school.
I spend a great deal of my professional time concerned about affordability issues and I'm a little surprised by all the fuss. We have had 3%, 5%, 7% or double digit increases in nearly all school operating budgets throughout the Hudson Valley every year for the past 25 years that I've been following it. This capital project will add 1.1% to the to the tax levy in only four of the next 20 years, offset by .7% decreases in two out of the 20 years. Frankly it's the operating budgets over the next 20 years that concern me.
I see this as an opportunity to invest in our future -- in our school system, our children and an important building located in the heart of our town. This is the essence of community building. I believe that having a first class facility in the middle of Main Street will be an asset to the town for the next half century. And with all the talk about the costs, I'd like to see the conversation expanded to capture the full array of economic impacts this renovation will occur. What are the various multiplier effects from a $49M construction project? What is the amount of disposable income spent in local businesses during construction and thereafter by students, teachers, staff, parents and visitors? How many jobs will be created or retained in existing local business by this investment in this location? For the next 50 years!
Sure there are still capital needs at our other schools. They pale in comparison in scope and cost and none of those buildings are located smack dab on Main Street. Only the middle school has an 80-year-old core and seriously flawed systems. I am also concerned that if we don't deal with the middle school now, the costs of doing so will increase dramatically. And who will pay? Our children will pay. Push this project off 15 years and it might cost $150M! The irony will be that the middle schoolers of today -- who will then in their late twenties -- will get stuck paying.
The sky is falling argument that the state will cut capital aid after they pledge it is really far fetched. Long before the state becomes derelict on its commitments in this category it will simply cut capital aid to any future school projects. The real danger regarding state aid is if we delay this project, there might not be any on the table. It's really another reason to do the project now.
The stewardship of our school district is our collective responsibility. We have elected and hired leadership who have put in countless hours and followed an exhaustive process over several years to put forth this proposal. I give that a lot of weight and I'm voting yes for the middle school renovation.
Kevin O'Connor
New Paltz
I must say that I'm impressed by the dedication of past and present school board members who have volunteered their time to guide our school district and by the performance of Superintendent Maria Rice and Assistant Superintendent Richard Linden. Most have been at this for several years and I place a high value on their commitment, collective judgment and recommendation. They are now facing a lot of Monday morning quarterbacking.
When I look at the fiscal impacts, I see this as a real bargain. The math is straightforward. It is a $76M project when you add in the interest costs. The state picks up $31M to $20M for the capital and $11M for interest. Net local cost is $46M. Add in the existing capital debt, use the restricted capital reserve, factor in retiring capital debt and you end up with a real fiscal impact of 1.1% increase per year for only four years. For a median price home, this will cost you $163 more on average than you're paying now for each of the next 20 years and you get a state-of-the art middle school.
I spend a great deal of my professional time concerned about affordability issues and I'm a little surprised by all the fuss. We have had 3%, 5%, 7% or double digit increases in nearly all school operating budgets throughout the Hudson Valley every year for the past 25 years that I've been following it. This capital project will add 1.1% to the to the tax levy in only four of the next 20 years, offset by .7% decreases in two out of the 20 years. Frankly it's the operating budgets over the next 20 years that concern me.
I see this as an opportunity to invest in our future -- in our school system, our children and an important building located in the heart of our town. This is the essence of community building. I believe that having a first class facility in the middle of Main Street will be an asset to the town for the next half century. And with all the talk about the costs, I'd like to see the conversation expanded to capture the full array of economic impacts this renovation will occur. What are the various multiplier effects from a $49M construction project? What is the amount of disposable income spent in local businesses during construction and thereafter by students, teachers, staff, parents and visitors? How many jobs will be created or retained in existing local business by this investment in this location? For the next 50 years!
Sure there are still capital needs at our other schools. They pale in comparison in scope and cost and none of those buildings are located smack dab on Main Street. Only the middle school has an 80-year-old core and seriously flawed systems. I am also concerned that if we don't deal with the middle school now, the costs of doing so will increase dramatically. And who will pay? Our children will pay. Push this project off 15 years and it might cost $150M! The irony will be that the middle schoolers of today -- who will then in their late twenties -- will get stuck paying.
The sky is falling argument that the state will cut capital aid after they pledge it is really far fetched. Long before the state becomes derelict on its commitments in this category it will simply cut capital aid to any future school projects. The real danger regarding state aid is if we delay this project, there might not be any on the table. It's really another reason to do the project now.
The stewardship of our school district is our collective responsibility. We have elected and hired leadership who have put in countless hours and followed an exhaustive process over several years to put forth this proposal. I give that a lot of weight and I'm voting yes for the middle school renovation.
Kevin O'Connor
New Paltz
Barbara Carroll & Sally Rhoads Letter to the Editor 02/04/10: Former School Board Members Support Project
Like many in our community, wer have been undecided about the Middle School renovation project. We've always advocated for educational excellence, but condemned bureaucratic waste. Is this the former or the latter, we wondered? As a former school board members, we'd champion genuine student needs. As retirees supported by retirement investments worth much less now than before, we’d oppose frivolous spending.
Clearly some renovation is warranted. School boards have been patching up the building’s many flaws for several decades, trying to extend its use so that other more pressing needs could be met, hoping some other municipality would need and buy our white elephant. The Depression era front building is well built and sturdy; not so the flat roofed, cheaply made, deteriorating, 1960’s classroom addition.
Our concern has been whether the current proposal is a more expensive “fix” than is needed. Upon investigation, we have decided that it is not.
The estimated construction cost of $245 per square foot compares favorably with the $415 per square foot cost of the “green” remodeling of SUNY’s Old Main Building. ($27M for 65,000 sq. ft. per SUNY’s website updated 1/21/10.) School construction is very expensive due to many state construction mandates, most notably NY’s 1912 Wicks Law which raises costs by about 25%.
While increasing available classroom space by about 20%, the project’s energy efficiency will decrease utility costs by 7-8% per year.
Furthermore, Rhinebeck Architecture has a sterling reputation. They have never been late completing a project, nor has any client sued them. In fact, it is the firm New Paltz turned to during its litigation with the Lenape architects.
Our decision to publicly support the project has been spurred by the blatant lies being spread by opponents. The remodeled Middle School WILL NOT COST $100 MILLION, even with all the bond interest paid over time. If opponents must resort to a lie as their main argument against a remodeled Middle School, they must lack better, rational arguments.
The total net future cost will be about $42 million: $49.8M immediate construction cost minus $20M state aid, minus $4M existing NP reserve funds ($25.8M) followed by $26.8M long term bond interest minus $10.7M state bond aid ($16.1M) = $41.9M. NY law forbids cost overruns on bonded school projects.
We have noted that many current opponents were also vocal twenty years ago in their objection to building Lenape School. Student population estimates were all wrong, they cried with authority; Lenape would be an unnecessary “ghost school” because there’d be no students to fill it.
They were wrong then. They are wrong now.
Barbara Carroll & Sally Rhoads
Clearly some renovation is warranted. School boards have been patching up the building’s many flaws for several decades, trying to extend its use so that other more pressing needs could be met, hoping some other municipality would need and buy our white elephant. The Depression era front building is well built and sturdy; not so the flat roofed, cheaply made, deteriorating, 1960’s classroom addition.
Our concern has been whether the current proposal is a more expensive “fix” than is needed. Upon investigation, we have decided that it is not.
The estimated construction cost of $245 per square foot compares favorably with the $415 per square foot cost of the “green” remodeling of SUNY’s Old Main Building. ($27M for 65,000 sq. ft. per SUNY’s website updated 1/21/10.) School construction is very expensive due to many state construction mandates, most notably NY’s 1912 Wicks Law which raises costs by about 25%.
While increasing available classroom space by about 20%, the project’s energy efficiency will decrease utility costs by 7-8% per year.
Furthermore, Rhinebeck Architecture has a sterling reputation. They have never been late completing a project, nor has any client sued them. In fact, it is the firm New Paltz turned to during its litigation with the Lenape architects.
Our decision to publicly support the project has been spurred by the blatant lies being spread by opponents. The remodeled Middle School WILL NOT COST $100 MILLION, even with all the bond interest paid over time. If opponents must resort to a lie as their main argument against a remodeled Middle School, they must lack better, rational arguments.
The total net future cost will be about $42 million: $49.8M immediate construction cost minus $20M state aid, minus $4M existing NP reserve funds ($25.8M) followed by $26.8M long term bond interest minus $10.7M state bond aid ($16.1M) = $41.9M. NY law forbids cost overruns on bonded school projects.
We have noted that many current opponents were also vocal twenty years ago in their objection to building Lenape School. Student population estimates were all wrong, they cried with authority; Lenape would be an unnecessary “ghost school” because there’d be no students to fill it.
They were wrong then. They are wrong now.
Barbara Carroll & Sally Rhoads
Floyd Kniffen's Letter to the Editor 02/04/10: Don't Believe Their Hype
This past fall, I began attending the public forums for the Middle School project. Prior to this, I had no knowledge to the specifics of this project. I never signed petitions our voiced support for this project. I was coming into this with an open mind, undecided about the project. At these meetings, I voiced my concerns about specific aspects of the project – becoming more and more aware of the details.
Growing up in New Paltz, I attended the Middle School. My morning routine during these years included first riding my bike to Hobo Deli (now, Moonlight Café), sweeping the front sidewalk for a dollar, maybe spend a quarter to play Pac Man, and then riding my bike up Main Street to school. My after school routine usually involved the Youth Center followed by an elaborate downhill bike route through the college and then home. Because of the Middle School’s location, we all interacted with the surrounding community. There is so much potential at this location!
I now have two children, one in Kindergarten and one in preschool. I look forward to their years in our schools. I am thankful that we have a great school district and I hold our School Board to maintaining a great school district for the future. From what I have seen and experienced to date, I am impressed with the School Board members. It is obvious that they are hard working and diligent in making sure they are doing what is best for both our school district and our tax payers. The project they are presenting is the culmination of teacher, student, parent and professional involvement.
After careful consideration of the details and costs, I whole-heartedly support this project. It is not too big. The Middle School needs more than repairs, it needs a major overhaul. This is so obvious - and to say otherwise, is just careless rhetoric!
We need to start this project now. Construction costs are very reasonable, interest rates are low and further repair costs will be avoided. As in all municipal projects, the costs of this project will be bonded over twenty years, so we will reap the benefits of today’s construction climate while paying the costs over time. If we delay this project, we will most likely lose these cost reductions while still paying over the same time period.
There is a well-organized group of vocal opponents to this project. I have struggled with understanding the reason behind their vehement opposition. This group is mostly made up of local landlords claiming that their motive is to unite our community. In all of their literature, I don’t find one real reason that justifies a vote against this project. It is mostly large dollar figures plastered around weak arguments!
If there is any doubt in your mind that this project is needed, please don’t base your decision on hype and scare tactics. Tour the Middle School on February 4th or contact the school district office for more information.
Please vote YES for the Middle School project. Voting will take place at the high school this coming Tuesday, February 9th.
Floyd Kniffen
New Paltz
Growing up in New Paltz, I attended the Middle School. My morning routine during these years included first riding my bike to Hobo Deli (now, Moonlight Café), sweeping the front sidewalk for a dollar, maybe spend a quarter to play Pac Man, and then riding my bike up Main Street to school. My after school routine usually involved the Youth Center followed by an elaborate downhill bike route through the college and then home. Because of the Middle School’s location, we all interacted with the surrounding community. There is so much potential at this location!
I now have two children, one in Kindergarten and one in preschool. I look forward to their years in our schools. I am thankful that we have a great school district and I hold our School Board to maintaining a great school district for the future. From what I have seen and experienced to date, I am impressed with the School Board members. It is obvious that they are hard working and diligent in making sure they are doing what is best for both our school district and our tax payers. The project they are presenting is the culmination of teacher, student, parent and professional involvement.
After careful consideration of the details and costs, I whole-heartedly support this project. It is not too big. The Middle School needs more than repairs, it needs a major overhaul. This is so obvious - and to say otherwise, is just careless rhetoric!
We need to start this project now. Construction costs are very reasonable, interest rates are low and further repair costs will be avoided. As in all municipal projects, the costs of this project will be bonded over twenty years, so we will reap the benefits of today’s construction climate while paying the costs over time. If we delay this project, we will most likely lose these cost reductions while still paying over the same time period.
There is a well-organized group of vocal opponents to this project. I have struggled with understanding the reason behind their vehement opposition. This group is mostly made up of local landlords claiming that their motive is to unite our community. In all of their literature, I don’t find one real reason that justifies a vote against this project. It is mostly large dollar figures plastered around weak arguments!
If there is any doubt in your mind that this project is needed, please don’t base your decision on hype and scare tactics. Tour the Middle School on February 4th or contact the school district office for more information.
Please vote YES for the Middle School project. Voting will take place at the high school this coming Tuesday, February 9th.
Floyd Kniffen
New Paltz
Celia Cuomo and Maurice Weitman's Letter to the Editor 02/104/10: Vote YES for Middle School Renovations
Surely you've seen the signs telling us to stop spending $100 million, or $80 million. They say they want to "save our district."
Mostly, though, what they want to save is their money. We understand.
They say that Gov. Patterson is cutting aid to our schools. But the truth is that he has committed to INCREASING aid for school renovations and building. The State knows how important it is to keep our infrastructure sound, our children safe, and our plant efficient. And the State knows how foolish it is to treat gaping wounds with band-aids.
(By the way: if for any reason the State doesn't come through, the project doesn't happen. Period. Easy.)
The people of "NO" act as though voting against the $50 million renovation project ($30 million net cost to us after NY State's contribution) will save all that money. They forget to acknowledge that a new school will cost much more.
They also neglect to say that without this responsible, long-term fix, by deferring this necessary maintenance yet again, we'd be spending MORE money over the long term, which is exactly how we got into this mess.
We have no kids or relatives in our schools. We pay close to double the median tax amount. We are far from wealthy.
But we believe in investing in our community, in our children, and in our future.
We hope you do, too, and that you will join us in voting YES on the Middle School renovations this February 9th.
Celia Cuomo
Maurice Weitman
New Paltz
Mostly, though, what they want to save is their money. We understand.
They say that Gov. Patterson is cutting aid to our schools. But the truth is that he has committed to INCREASING aid for school renovations and building. The State knows how important it is to keep our infrastructure sound, our children safe, and our plant efficient. And the State knows how foolish it is to treat gaping wounds with band-aids.
(By the way: if for any reason the State doesn't come through, the project doesn't happen. Period. Easy.)
The people of "NO" act as though voting against the $50 million renovation project ($30 million net cost to us after NY State's contribution) will save all that money. They forget to acknowledge that a new school will cost much more.
They also neglect to say that without this responsible, long-term fix, by deferring this necessary maintenance yet again, we'd be spending MORE money over the long term, which is exactly how we got into this mess.
We have no kids or relatives in our schools. We pay close to double the median tax amount. We are far from wealthy.
But we believe in investing in our community, in our children, and in our future.
We hope you do, too, and that you will join us in voting YES on the Middle School renovations this February 9th.
Celia Cuomo
Maurice Weitman
New Paltz
Celeste Cleary's Letter to the Editor 02/04/10: Voting YES to Save Money
Two years ago I took a tour of the Middle School and experienced a building that was jaw-droppingly decrepit and ineffective.
We need to renovate. So let's pass this bond and get the work going. The
sooner we do this we will start to get return-of-investment from the
increased insulation, solar hot water panels, geothermal, dual-flush toilets
and HVAC efficiencies of this plan. For example: auto-sensors to dim lights
when daylight is sufficient will cost $185,000 -- and get us a payback of
investment in only 2-5 years. From this one technology we will be saving on
utilities for decades to come.
Let's do this. Vote YES.
Every day we delay our tax dollars are literally pouring out the windows.
Celeste Cleary
New Paltz
We need to renovate. So let's pass this bond and get the work going. The
sooner we do this we will start to get return-of-investment from the
increased insulation, solar hot water panels, geothermal, dual-flush toilets
and HVAC efficiencies of this plan. For example: auto-sensors to dim lights
when daylight is sufficient will cost $185,000 -- and get us a payback of
investment in only 2-5 years. From this one technology we will be saving on
utilities for decades to come.
Let's do this. Vote YES.
Every day we delay our tax dollars are literally pouring out the windows.
Celeste Cleary
New Paltz
32 People Voice Support in Letter to the Editor 02/04/10: Why We Support the Renovation Project
We are voting YES! on the issue of renovating the Middle School for these reasons:
- The middle-school teachers are enthusiastic about the innovative layout in the renovation plan and we wholeheartedly endorse the green technology in it;
- it keeps a school within the village proper while the other schools remain in remote locations;
- we have to use this site for educational purposes or lose it according to a [sic] reversionary clause;
- if we do not act now the eventual cost of any other project will surely exceed the overall cost of this renovation plan;
- the real issue is not the tens of millions in public debt the renovation will amass, it is merely the tens of dollars added annually to our school taxes we must pay to support this project.
We implore all the parents of children who go to our schools, or will go to our schools in the near future, their relatives, their friends, and their neighbors, to vote YES! on February 9 in support of public education for our children.
Todd Quinlan, Jeffrey Goldman, Norman Turner, Tessa Killian, Betty Marton, Joan Cherney, Robin Perls, Jerry Teters, Jennifer Zaborowski, Jeff Perls, Joanna Teters, Glenn McNitt, Robby Vorspan, Alysa Sullivan, Maryann Fallek, Brian Lynch, Dan Sullivan, Eric Schwartz, Joan Combellick, Jasmine Redfern, Stacey Schaffer, Joel Keehn, Cordell Stahl, Theresa Fall, Renee Falanga-Brenner, Paul Carroll, Mariann Sennett, Eleanor Wolfe, Matthew Flusser, Robin Hayes, Lisa Munzer, Bill Munzer
- The middle-school teachers are enthusiastic about the innovative layout in the renovation plan and we wholeheartedly endorse the green technology in it;
- it keeps a school within the village proper while the other schools remain in remote locations;
- we have to use this site for educational purposes or lose it according to a [sic] reversionary clause;
- if we do not act now the eventual cost of any other project will surely exceed the overall cost of this renovation plan;
- the real issue is not the tens of millions in public debt the renovation will amass, it is merely the tens of dollars added annually to our school taxes we must pay to support this project.
We implore all the parents of children who go to our schools, or will go to our schools in the near future, their relatives, their friends, and their neighbors, to vote YES! on February 9 in support of public education for our children.
Todd Quinlan, Jeffrey Goldman, Norman Turner, Tessa Killian, Betty Marton, Joan Cherney, Robin Perls, Jerry Teters, Jennifer Zaborowski, Jeff Perls, Joanna Teters, Glenn McNitt, Robby Vorspan, Alysa Sullivan, Maryann Fallek, Brian Lynch, Dan Sullivan, Eric Schwartz, Joan Combellick, Jasmine Redfern, Stacey Schaffer, Joel Keehn, Cordell Stahl, Theresa Fall, Renee Falanga-Brenner, Paul Carroll, Mariann Sennett, Eleanor Wolfe, Matthew Flusser, Robin Hayes, Lisa Munzer, Bill Munzer
Peter Muller's Letter to the Editor 02/04/10: Small Increase Is Worth the Benefits
As a homeowner and landlord in New Paltz, I certainly don’t want to see my taxes increased any more. However, I feel that the small increase is worth the benefits of a renovated, environmentally sound and energy-efficient middle school. I agree with those who want their children to have the best educational environment in which to prepare for their and our future.
I will be voting “Yes” to the renovation.
Peter Muller
New Paltz, NY
I will be voting “Yes” to the renovation.
Peter Muller
New Paltz, NY
Rachel Lagodka's Letter to the Editor 02/05/10: Investing in the Future of the Community
I want to begin this letter by saying that some of my best friends are landlords. And they support funding the Middle School project because as stakeholders they care about investing in the future of the community, and as conscientious people they care about taking real action to create a world they want to see. It is true that the most vocal opponents of the project are landlords, and a frequent speaker at the many public hearings that were provided is a landlord who does not live in New Paltz, but a set of circumstances, self-interested or not, connected to proponents and detractors of the project does not prove or disprove the project’s worth. The project either is or is not a smart move, regardless of who is in favor or against it, and regardless of any details at all about the people with opinions one way or the other. Everybody wants a good school for the children. Nobody wants a tax increase. Unfortunately, at this stage of our existence, we can’t have a good school without paying for it. Defeating the bond won't decrease our taxes. Spending money to defeat the bond is a bad investment because the project, though it involves an initial increase in taxes, will actually cost less than continuous repairs on an inefficient building, or building later when the prices for fuel and labor and supplies are just going up. Detractors of the project have put up signs that double the price, some claiming 100million and others a more modest 80 or 90. If you vote “no,” and they keep having to repair the Middle School, and eventually have to replace it anyhow, the costs will eventually double, but for now, there is no reason to be frightened by the exaggerations of the opponents of the project. They have come before the board again and again and their math has proven to be wrong again and again.
My suggestion would be to vote "yes" for the bond, and then make sure the project is as efficient and effective in the long run as possible, and watch every bit of the construction process to make sure there is no waste. Make sure they hire local people. Check up on the pricing and sourcing of all the material they get. Try to help them do the best job possible by bringing their attention to local resources and expertise. The school board has been very receptive and responsive to public comment. Over the last 5 months they have held public forums at least once and sometimes 3 times a week. The have responded to the concerns of the public and continue to respond. In response to my concern about coming up with yearly payments, they are going to divide the payments up so we don’t have to come up with a lump sum. While they cut out the cultural benefits to the school like the amphitheater and new equipment in the auditorium in response to public comment they did not cut the green energy modifications that will save us money in the long run, also in response to public comment.
If the project comes in under budget, the money would go back to the taxpayers. If it ends up costing all that money, the community still gets the high performance building they can be proud of and the children get the benefits of a wise investment in a healthy school that does not depend on fossil fuels.
There probably are ways that taxes can go down without depriving the students. At least the tax burden could be distributed more fairly. The problem for small homeowners in New Paltz like me is that your property gets taxed instead of your income and many of us here bought houses when they were cheap, still live in the same houses and make the same incomes, but have to pay double and sometimes triple the taxes as we did when we moved here.
That is not a reason to refuse to pay for the middle school. That is a reason to restructure the taxation.
Rachel Lagodka
New Paltz
My suggestion would be to vote "yes" for the bond, and then make sure the project is as efficient and effective in the long run as possible, and watch every bit of the construction process to make sure there is no waste. Make sure they hire local people. Check up on the pricing and sourcing of all the material they get. Try to help them do the best job possible by bringing their attention to local resources and expertise. The school board has been very receptive and responsive to public comment. Over the last 5 months they have held public forums at least once and sometimes 3 times a week. The have responded to the concerns of the public and continue to respond. In response to my concern about coming up with yearly payments, they are going to divide the payments up so we don’t have to come up with a lump sum. While they cut out the cultural benefits to the school like the amphitheater and new equipment in the auditorium in response to public comment they did not cut the green energy modifications that will save us money in the long run, also in response to public comment.
If the project comes in under budget, the money would go back to the taxpayers. If it ends up costing all that money, the community still gets the high performance building they can be proud of and the children get the benefits of a wise investment in a healthy school that does not depend on fossil fuels.
There probably are ways that taxes can go down without depriving the students. At least the tax burden could be distributed more fairly. The problem for small homeowners in New Paltz like me is that your property gets taxed instead of your income and many of us here bought houses when they were cheap, still live in the same houses and make the same incomes, but have to pay double and sometimes triple the taxes as we did when we moved here.
That is not a reason to refuse to pay for the middle school. That is a reason to restructure the taxation.
Rachel Lagodka
New Paltz
Ben Marshall's Letter to the Editor 02/04/10: I am Excited to Make This Investment in New Paltz
How unfortunate that the timing of our vote for the future of education in New Paltz coincides with our receiving that mail marked “Important Tax Documents”. I now recognize that the February 9th vote will reinforce the direction our school district takes in preparing our kids for complex and challenging lives in this integrated, global, technologically advanced society.
The vote is not about a building, nor about taxes, nor the recession. It’s about community and the willingness of us folks to invest in the future of this community. It is about the role of our schools in developing strong thinkers who can work on complex problems spanning multiple subjects, organized as teams that strive toward common goals, a capacity urgently needed in the workforce and desperately lacking in civic organizations like those in our nation’s capitol.
On January 27th I attended the final school board meeting pertaining to the middle school project. The board detailed the reasons why we need to replace our middle school, why it makes fiscal sense to do it now, during the recession, at its current location, and how the design of the new middle school lends itself to 21st century educational best-practices.
I was amazed by the thoroughness of the work this board produced, all of it available on the web site. I can imagine the time investment they have given to this project since its inception and I profoundly respect their willingness to do it on our behalf. I was impressed by the patience they demonstrated answering questions and addressing concerns of the assembled taxpayers, whose understandable frustrations about such a big decision were handled graciously by the board.
At the meeting, we comprehensively discussed the financials of the project. I had no prior knowledge of the numbers involved though I had seen a few lawn signs of folks who oppose the project. I left the meeting with a clear understanding of the costs for New Paltz taxpayers, the contributions from Albany and the debt service on both our existing bonds and the one associated with this project. Everyone present that night received a detailed spreadsheet from the district’s business manager and heard his succinct explanation of the financial impact we can expect.
It boils down to this: Based on assessed home values, the average New Paltz taxpayer will incur $162.75 per year additional school taxes for the next twenty years on top of whatever school tax increase would already take place, capped at 4%. That’s $13.56 average per month for homeowners, a bit more for some, a bit less for others, but roughly the cost of a burger and beer at P&Gs.
I am excited to make this investment in New Paltz. I am glad for my kids and the children of every family in this district, now and for the next 50+ years, who will have the privilege of learning in a sophisticated educational program amongst a community of forward-thinking, hopeful and responsible adults. We will create a top-tier middle school as the launching pad for our kids into our already top-200 in the nation high school. I can’t imagine a better way for our kids to prepare themselves or a more worthy investment for us to make.
Please vote YES on February 9th.
Ben Marshall
New Paltz
The vote is not about a building, nor about taxes, nor the recession. It’s about community and the willingness of us folks to invest in the future of this community. It is about the role of our schools in developing strong thinkers who can work on complex problems spanning multiple subjects, organized as teams that strive toward common goals, a capacity urgently needed in the workforce and desperately lacking in civic organizations like those in our nation’s capitol.
On January 27th I attended the final school board meeting pertaining to the middle school project. The board detailed the reasons why we need to replace our middle school, why it makes fiscal sense to do it now, during the recession, at its current location, and how the design of the new middle school lends itself to 21st century educational best-practices.
I was amazed by the thoroughness of the work this board produced, all of it available on the web site. I can imagine the time investment they have given to this project since its inception and I profoundly respect their willingness to do it on our behalf. I was impressed by the patience they demonstrated answering questions and addressing concerns of the assembled taxpayers, whose understandable frustrations about such a big decision were handled graciously by the board.
At the meeting, we comprehensively discussed the financials of the project. I had no prior knowledge of the numbers involved though I had seen a few lawn signs of folks who oppose the project. I left the meeting with a clear understanding of the costs for New Paltz taxpayers, the contributions from Albany and the debt service on both our existing bonds and the one associated with this project. Everyone present that night received a detailed spreadsheet from the district’s business manager and heard his succinct explanation of the financial impact we can expect.
It boils down to this: Based on assessed home values, the average New Paltz taxpayer will incur $162.75 per year additional school taxes for the next twenty years on top of whatever school tax increase would already take place, capped at 4%. That’s $13.56 average per month for homeowners, a bit more for some, a bit less for others, but roughly the cost of a burger and beer at P&Gs.
I am excited to make this investment in New Paltz. I am glad for my kids and the children of every family in this district, now and for the next 50+ years, who will have the privilege of learning in a sophisticated educational program amongst a community of forward-thinking, hopeful and responsible adults. We will create a top-tier middle school as the launching pad for our kids into our already top-200 in the nation high school. I can’t imagine a better way for our kids to prepare themselves or a more worthy investment for us to make.
Please vote YES on February 9th.
Ben Marshall
New Paltz
kt Tobin Flusser's Letter to the Editor 02/04/10: Project is Right for Our Community
I urge my neighbors in our school district to join me in voting YES on February 9th.
Long before I ran for school board, I advocated renovating the Middle School. When I ran I promised to seek to "maintain excellence despite fiscal pressures . . . to actively participate in the middle school renovation, an opportunity for the district to concretize its commitment to 21st Century education while going green and staying fiscally sound.”
The decision-making process regarding this proposal has been thorough and transparent. We have held numerous public meetings and put thousands of hours of work into this proposal which included the participation of students, teachers, staff, PTA’s, parents, community groups, and interested citizens. With the input of so many stakeholders, the final proposal includes a solid relocation plan with the least disruption for students, maintenance of full-day Kindergarten, a bond timeline which delays tax impact till 2012, and the removal of components deemed “wants” and not “needs”. While some suggested postponing the project, we rejected this too, because the toll on our children and financial cost to our community makes no sense.
I agree that $49.8M is a lot of money. Initially I had sticker shock, but after diligently working with my board colleagues, I now know that this is what we need to do. We have “interrogated” our architects and construction managers - drilling down on all the scenarios, demanding all the how’s and the why’s - and have come to understand this is the appropriate price for a public building built to last and serve us well into the 21st century. We have conducted an exhaustive due-diligence check of costs. All estimates are based on comprehensive budget examinations of similar projects in our region. Respected community members who work in related fields have affirmed that the proposed costs are right on target.
These may be the worst of economic times. Yet, paradoxically, in many ways they are the best of times to build. Construction costs and interest rates are at historic lows. It is probable that costs will NEVER be lower than what they are now.
Critical physical deterioration to the building was identified in 2005. This project is overdue. We need to reject short-term fixes that fail to correct the egregious structural problems with our Middle School. Over the long run, alternative approaches will cost considerably more than what is currently proposed. Now is the time to act for health, safety, security, equity, energy efficiency, the environment, our pocketbooks, and most of all, the appropriate education of our children in this century.
I am confident in my neighbors’ ability to evaluate this proposal on the merits, benefits against costs. We know the cost. We know what we need to do for our community. I voted YES to send this project to our citizens because it is right for our community, and I will vote YES February 9th. Please join me.
kt Tobin Flusser
New Paltz
Note: This is an expression of my personal view, and does not represent a statement from the school board.
Long before I ran for school board, I advocated renovating the Middle School. When I ran I promised to seek to "maintain excellence despite fiscal pressures . . . to actively participate in the middle school renovation, an opportunity for the district to concretize its commitment to 21st Century education while going green and staying fiscally sound.”
The decision-making process regarding this proposal has been thorough and transparent. We have held numerous public meetings and put thousands of hours of work into this proposal which included the participation of students, teachers, staff, PTA’s, parents, community groups, and interested citizens. With the input of so many stakeholders, the final proposal includes a solid relocation plan with the least disruption for students, maintenance of full-day Kindergarten, a bond timeline which delays tax impact till 2012, and the removal of components deemed “wants” and not “needs”. While some suggested postponing the project, we rejected this too, because the toll on our children and financial cost to our community makes no sense.
I agree that $49.8M is a lot of money. Initially I had sticker shock, but after diligently working with my board colleagues, I now know that this is what we need to do. We have “interrogated” our architects and construction managers - drilling down on all the scenarios, demanding all the how’s and the why’s - and have come to understand this is the appropriate price for a public building built to last and serve us well into the 21st century. We have conducted an exhaustive due-diligence check of costs. All estimates are based on comprehensive budget examinations of similar projects in our region. Respected community members who work in related fields have affirmed that the proposed costs are right on target.
These may be the worst of economic times. Yet, paradoxically, in many ways they are the best of times to build. Construction costs and interest rates are at historic lows. It is probable that costs will NEVER be lower than what they are now.
Critical physical deterioration to the building was identified in 2005. This project is overdue. We need to reject short-term fixes that fail to correct the egregious structural problems with our Middle School. Over the long run, alternative approaches will cost considerably more than what is currently proposed. Now is the time to act for health, safety, security, equity, energy efficiency, the environment, our pocketbooks, and most of all, the appropriate education of our children in this century.
I am confident in my neighbors’ ability to evaluate this proposal on the merits, benefits against costs. We know the cost. We know what we need to do for our community. I voted YES to send this project to our citizens because it is right for our community, and I will vote YES February 9th. Please join me.
kt Tobin Flusser
New Paltz
Note: This is an expression of my personal view, and does not represent a statement from the school board.
Rebecca Rotzler's Letter to the Editor 02/04/10: 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, the school should "not be far from the center of the village".
November 1929, Bryun Hasbrouck, on the debate about what to do, urges the newspaper and the district to "make clear a subject that has probably been hazy in the minds of many people."
January 1930, an editorial includes a call to move forward, "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, 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, in a report 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, it is reported that 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 school 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, voters accept the 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, actual bids were lower than expected, three Kingston firms were selected, with a total cost of about $160,000. Even in the Depression era, the state paid its full share.
October 1930, in his building dedication, Superintendent Gillette, "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.
Rebecca Rotzler
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, the school should "not be far from the center of the village".
November 1929, Bryun Hasbrouck, on the debate about what to do, urges the newspaper and the district to "make clear a subject that has probably been hazy in the minds of many people."
January 1930, an editorial includes a call to move forward, "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, 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, in a report 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, it is reported that 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 school 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, voters accept the 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, actual bids were lower than expected, three Kingston firms were selected, with a total cost of about $160,000. Even in the Depression era, the state paid its full share.
October 1930, in his building dedication, Superintendent Gillette, "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.
Rebecca Rotzler
New Paltz
Ivy Sciandra's Letter to the Editor 2/4/10: We Can't Afford To Wait
I struggled with the question of the New Paltz Middle School renovation for some time because it's a complicated project that will affect both my child's education and my family's tax bill. But after attending many meetings and talking to anyone who would listen, I've come to the conclusion that it's in the best interest of our kids and our community to do this renovation now. There's been a lot of talk about the "band aid" repairs that have been done to this school over the years, the most recent example being $50,000 to repair the roof in the gym.
Nobody got hurt -- this time. The longer we delay the more expensive these patch jobs will become as the building degrades. And how much more expensive will it be if we have to pay for the medical care of someone who is hurt?
A lot of people are scared about how much this will cost New Paltz if we don't get the state aid that's been promised. If that happens, the project won't move forward -- period. We won't be forced to come up with the extra money.
The Board of Education has done a great job putting together this plan. The layout of the school is genius and will really provide the students with a feeling of unity amongst their classmates. Finding the school in Tillson for the relocation plan -- and persuading the state to let us use it -- is a real feather in the board's cap. It answers one of the most important questions about how to implement this renovation project.
Our kids and teachers deserve a safe place for learning and we can't afford to wait.
Ivy Sciandra
New Paltz
Nobody got hurt -- this time. The longer we delay the more expensive these patch jobs will become as the building degrades. And how much more expensive will it be if we have to pay for the medical care of someone who is hurt?
A lot of people are scared about how much this will cost New Paltz if we don't get the state aid that's been promised. If that happens, the project won't move forward -- period. We won't be forced to come up with the extra money.
The Board of Education has done a great job putting together this plan. The layout of the school is genius and will really provide the students with a feeling of unity amongst their classmates. Finding the school in Tillson for the relocation plan -- and persuading the state to let us use it -- is a real feather in the board's cap. It answers one of the most important questions about how to implement this renovation project.
Our kids and teachers deserve a safe place for learning and we can't afford to wait.
Ivy Sciandra
New Paltz
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Nancy Schniedewind's Letter to the Editor 02/4/10: Join me in voting yes for the middle school project
It is unfortunate that public education is the only area in which taxpayers have a very direct and immediate voice in supporting or rejecting tax initiatives. The pain we feel from an economic crisis created by the greed of unregulated banks and corporations can too easily fuel action that hurts community children, public education and ultimately ourselves.
The economic times are very frustrating and painful, but where and how should we push back? Is pushing back at others in our community wise?
-- Should we push back against a responsible school board and district that have spent many years developing a renovation plan for the unsafe New Paltz Middle School with ongoing opportunities for community input? This plan will most effectively keep New Paltz affordable by costing taxpayers less over the years than renovating or building later.
Instead locally,
-- Why not push back by gathering accurate and well-researched information. For example, will the district's debt be $100 million as some opponents allege? The district now has about $24 million in debt, some of which retires in two years, more ($12 million) in nine years and the rest ($10.8 million) in 13 years. For the middle school project, the district would take on a debt just under $30 million dollars, factoring in state aid. This combined debt will be $54 million dollars, not $100 million dollars.
-- Why not push back by basing our thinking on reason and not fear. Should we fear the state cutting out building fund monies once the project starts? As a veteran SUNY employee, I've seen the state cut academic budgets many times, but never cut a building project allocation once it's committed. The district has also promised that it will not move ahead on the project without the state's share committed.
And instead more broadly,
-- Why not spend more of our time pushing back through our elected leaders and advocacy organizations against those economic and foreign policy decisions that have brought on and sustained this economic crisis, pushing for solutions that can bring much greater economic relief than the $163 a year the average household will pay to retire existing debts and the middle school loan. (See The National Priorities Project's costofwar.com.)
-- Why not push back by becoming more active advocating for school funding changes in New York state, such as the Equity in Education Act legislative proposal that would change funding from the property tax to income tax, to take the burden of school taxes off those who are hurt by them the most. (See NYS A.6009)
Yes, we do need to push back, but let's think about what are fair, honest and effective ways to confront these hard economic times.
I will vote "YES" for the middle school renovation because I believe it will best keep New Paltz affordable while showing commitment to the common good. I hope you will join me.
Nancy Schniedewind
New Paltz
The economic times are very frustrating and painful, but where and how should we push back? Is pushing back at others in our community wise?
-- Should we push back against a responsible school board and district that have spent many years developing a renovation plan for the unsafe New Paltz Middle School with ongoing opportunities for community input? This plan will most effectively keep New Paltz affordable by costing taxpayers less over the years than renovating or building later.
Instead locally,
-- Why not push back by gathering accurate and well-researched information. For example, will the district's debt be $100 million as some opponents allege? The district now has about $24 million in debt, some of which retires in two years, more ($12 million) in nine years and the rest ($10.8 million) in 13 years. For the middle school project, the district would take on a debt just under $30 million dollars, factoring in state aid. This combined debt will be $54 million dollars, not $100 million dollars.
-- Why not push back by basing our thinking on reason and not fear. Should we fear the state cutting out building fund monies once the project starts? As a veteran SUNY employee, I've seen the state cut academic budgets many times, but never cut a building project allocation once it's committed. The district has also promised that it will not move ahead on the project without the state's share committed.
And instead more broadly,
-- Why not spend more of our time pushing back through our elected leaders and advocacy organizations against those economic and foreign policy decisions that have brought on and sustained this economic crisis, pushing for solutions that can bring much greater economic relief than the $163 a year the average household will pay to retire existing debts and the middle school loan. (See The National Priorities Project's costofwar.com.)
-- Why not push back by becoming more active advocating for school funding changes in New York state, such as the Equity in Education Act legislative proposal that would change funding from the property tax to income tax, to take the burden of school taxes off those who are hurt by them the most. (See NYS A.6009)
Yes, we do need to push back, but let's think about what are fair, honest and effective ways to confront these hard economic times.
I will vote "YES" for the middle school renovation because I believe it will best keep New Paltz affordable while showing commitment to the common good. I hope you will join me.
Nancy Schniedewind
New Paltz
Make An Informed Vote
In order to make an informed vote, you need to have accurate facts:
* Middle School Project budget is $49.8M: the local share is $29.8M and state aid will cover $20M
* District is in excellent financial shape with a high credit rating and current budget year is running at a surplus
* Board has confirmed the project will not break ground if state aid is not approved
* State building aid has never been cut and Paterson’s proposed budget for next year increases building aid by $222M
* Architects and construction managers:
· Specialize in renovation of historic, green, high performance public school buildings
· Never exceeded budget on a project or missed a deadline for completion
· Never been sued
· Base costs on regional prices, allowance for unforeseen “unknowns”: 10% contingency, 10% in construction
* By law, district cannot spend any more money than is approved in bond; if costs come in lower, loan will be for lower actual cost
* Interest rates at historic lows and will be locked in for 20 years (state aid offsets interest and principal)
* Labor costs are low right now – bids are expected to be lower than estimated cost
* Tax impact conservatively estimates high at 4.5% - actual rates should be lower
* For a median valued home ($297K) tax impact will be an average of about $14 per month for the life of the loan; cumulative total over 20 years about $3200
* Cost of doing “Nothing”, an unviable alternative, is $10M in emergency repairs and projected to cost about $10M every 10-15 years, very possibly could end up costing more than proposed project without systematically addressing any of the safety, health, environmental, equity, or educational issues
* There are no major repairs needed at Duzine, Lenape, and the High School in near future, all had significant work done in recently (much of it paid for with State aid Excel funding) with no big issues remaining
* Current Middle School:
· Significant health concerns due to failed systems and lack of air circulation
· Layout creates safety concerns and accessibility issues, frustrates team teaching, is a labyrinth, and on average rooms are 30% under state requirements
· Technologically insufficient for contemporary education
* Proposed design:
· Entirely new classroom wing increasing day lighting, fresh air, proper climate control; resolves layout, security, and accessibility issues
· Actual instruction time increased by at least 25 minutes every day!
· District office back to Middle School campus in the renovated 1930’s historic building, saving $87K per year in rental costs, ensuring entire project aid will be based on better renovation aid ratios
· Solar for energy and water heater, possibly geothermal heating, many Green advantages and building techniques greatly increasing energy efficiency and lowering operating costs
· Strengthens “house” method of middle school education, as widely practiced in New Paltz and elsewhere, updates building to appropriately provide education for our children in the 21st century
Amy Mosbacher
Middle School YES!
* Middle School Project budget is $49.8M: the local share is $29.8M and state aid will cover $20M
* District is in excellent financial shape with a high credit rating and current budget year is running at a surplus
* Board has confirmed the project will not break ground if state aid is not approved
* State building aid has never been cut and Paterson’s proposed budget for next year increases building aid by $222M
* Architects and construction managers:
· Specialize in renovation of historic, green, high performance public school buildings
· Never exceeded budget on a project or missed a deadline for completion
· Never been sued
· Base costs on regional prices, allowance for unforeseen “unknowns”: 10% contingency, 10% in construction
* By law, district cannot spend any more money than is approved in bond; if costs come in lower, loan will be for lower actual cost
* Interest rates at historic lows and will be locked in for 20 years (state aid offsets interest and principal)
* Labor costs are low right now – bids are expected to be lower than estimated cost
* Tax impact conservatively estimates high at 4.5% - actual rates should be lower
* For a median valued home ($297K) tax impact will be an average of about $14 per month for the life of the loan; cumulative total over 20 years about $3200
* Cost of doing “Nothing”, an unviable alternative, is $10M in emergency repairs and projected to cost about $10M every 10-15 years, very possibly could end up costing more than proposed project without systematically addressing any of the safety, health, environmental, equity, or educational issues
* There are no major repairs needed at Duzine, Lenape, and the High School in near future, all had significant work done in recently (much of it paid for with State aid Excel funding) with no big issues remaining
* Current Middle School:
· Significant health concerns due to failed systems and lack of air circulation
· Layout creates safety concerns and accessibility issues, frustrates team teaching, is a labyrinth, and on average rooms are 30% under state requirements
· Technologically insufficient for contemporary education
* Proposed design:
· Entirely new classroom wing increasing day lighting, fresh air, proper climate control; resolves layout, security, and accessibility issues
· Actual instruction time increased by at least 25 minutes every day!
· District office back to Middle School campus in the renovated 1930’s historic building, saving $87K per year in rental costs, ensuring entire project aid will be based on better renovation aid ratios
· Solar for energy and water heater, possibly geothermal heating, many Green advantages and building techniques greatly increasing energy efficiency and lowering operating costs
· Strengthens “house” method of middle school education, as widely practiced in New Paltz and elsewhere, updates building to appropriately provide education for our children in the 21st century
Amy Mosbacher
Middle School YES!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
