Please attend one of the information sessions on 9/23 or 9/27 and/or sign up for one of the stakeholder groups (only a 2-3 meeting commitment!) - it is critical that our voices be heard!
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New Paltz Central School District Seeks Community Input
District Issues Open Invitation to Join Comprehensive Facilities Planning Process
New Paltz … The New Paltz Central School District invites district residents, taxpayers, parents and business owners to take part in its Comprehensive Facilities Planning process. To learn more about the process, the public is invited to attend two open enrollment informational meetings this month:
· Thursday, September 23rd at 7:00 PM at New Paltz High School Auditorium
· Monday, September 27th at 7:00 PM at Lenape Elementary Cafeteria
The informational meetings, as well as the entire planning process, will be facilitated by the district’s architecture and engineering consultant, CSArch, of Newburgh, New York. Attendees will learn the goals of the Comprehensive Facilities Planning process, as well as how information, demographics, and ideas from numerous sources will be gathered, compiled, analyzed and shared with the public and the Board of Education.
As part of the process, eight stakeholder groups are currently being formed to represent every facet of the New Paltz Central School District community. Beginning in October, each group will meet up to three times. The forum will provide an opportunity for the public to learn in detail about the state of district facilities, fields and grounds, as well as voice ideas and concerns for the future of district properties.
“The District is creating the Stakeholder Groups to establish open lines of communication and receive clear opinions and ideas from the public,” said Maria Rice, Superintendent of New Paltz Central School District. “It is extremely important that this process is transparent and inclusive so that everyone’s voice is represented in decisions about the future of our school facilities.”
There will be an opportunity to sign-up for a specific Stakeholder Group at the informational meetings. Interested parties can also learn about the process and sign-up to be a part of the Stakeholder Group online at the district’s website at www.newpaltz.k12.ny.us.
Stakeholder groups will include:
· Business Community / Service Organizations (Rotary, Lions Club, etc)
· Parents (includes PTA/PTSA)
· Community at Large
· Senior Citizens
· SUNY New Paltz
· Facility Use Groups (including sports organizations)
· Non-profits (Libraries, Mohonk Preserve, Greenworks, Arts Community)
· Municipalities (7 towns within the district, Law Enforcement, Fire Departments, Highway Department)
Individuals who are associated with the school district, including instructional and non-instructional staff, students, the district’s leadership team, the Health Advisory Committee, the Diversity Committee and the Board Facilities Committee will have an opportunity to provide ideas and feedback directly to CSArch facilitators through Input Committees. These individuals, as well as Board of Education members, are not eligible to serve as part of Stakeholder Groups.
The facilities plan is being carried out as part of the district’s Comprehensive Educational Master Plan. It coincides with requirements by the New York State Education Department for every school district to complete a district-wide Building Conditions Survey. Expenses incurred to complete the planning process are largely reimbursable by New York State.
All meeting minutes and recommendations will be documented on a special section of the district’s website pages entitled “4 Our Schools,” set-up specifically for the Comprehensive Facilities Planning Process. Visit the district’s website at www.newpaltz.k12.ny.us.
More detailed information about the Comprehensive Facilities Planning process will be available at the Open Enrollment Information Meetings and on the website. Please call Paige Lewis at CSArch Architecture |Engineering |Construction Management at (845) 561-3179 with questions about the process.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Seth McKee's Letter to the Editor 02/04/10: Why I am Voting Yes on the Middle School Renovation
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
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
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
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