Pine Bush Central School District residents are expected to consider a two-part capital improvement project on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025. The board of education will decide whether to put the project to voters at its Dec. 17, 2024 meeting.

What the project will include

The project will repair and replace vital infrastructure within our district, including roofs, fire alarms, floors, ceilings, elevators, heating and air conditioning. It will also provide a multi-purpose athletic facility at Circleville Middle School to serve physical education classes, our athletic program and the public. It will also provide new Information Technology (IT) equipment at all schools.

 

The cost

The total estimated cost for both propositions is $78,295,000. No tax impact would be incurred with the passage of proposition 1, which will cost $52,260,000. If approved, proposition 2 is estimated to cost $26,095,000.

The expected impact on taxpayers, with a home assessed at $500,000 and a STAR exemption, will be $7.75 more per month or $93 per year.  A taxpayer with a senior STAR exemption will pay $82 more for the year, or $6.83 more per month. See the chart below for other assessments, exemptions and increases.

 

 

Voting on Feb. 20, 2025

Polling locations will be Pine Bush High School and Circleville Elementary School. They will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

All district residents who are registered to vote through the County Board of Elections are registered to vote in the district. If you are not registered to vote, you may register with the county or register with the district clerk for school district elections only.  Contact Maria Wise at maria.wise@pinebushschools.org for more information.

 

We will share updates as the process continues.

 

Proposition 1 – $52,260,000 – No additional cost to taxpayers

Proposition 1 includes heating and cooling improvements, roof restorations and fire alarm upgrades in all seven of our school buildings. Some ceiling, floor and window replacements will also occur. Pine Bush High School, Crispell Middle School, Circleville Middle School and Pine Bush Elementary School will receive new elevators. All buildings will have new Information Technology (IT) equipment.

A new athletic field complex at CVMS is also part of proposition 1. This complex will include a multi-purpose field, a regulation eight-lane track, lights and bleachers. .

The total cost of proposition 1 is $52,260,000, with fees. There is no financial impact on Pine Bush taxpayers as it will be paid for through state aid, an allocation from the district’s capital reserve fund and retiring debt.

 

Proposition 2 – $26,095,000

Proposition 2 provides for air conditioning in each school’s gymnasium and cafeteria, as well as new signage at each building.

Other projects include gym floor resurfacing or replacement, painting and blacktopping at some locations. Pine Bush High School would be slated for updated science and art classrooms, a renovated auditorium, expanded bleachers, as well as a new press box, concession stand, locker rooms and restrooms under the bleachers.

The expected impact on taxpayers, with a home assessed at $500,000 and a STAR exemption, will be $7.75 more per month or $93 per year.  A taxpayer with a senior STAR exemption will pay $82 more for the year, or $6.83 more per month.

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Why are we voting on this in February? Why not wait until May when we vote on the budget?

A. If the district receives approval from voters in February, it allows us to submit the project to the New York State Department of Education months sooner than if we wait until May; state ed has up to a 39-week waiting period for plan approvals. The longer we wait, the more expensive projects become.

 

Q. Why do we need a track and new field in Circleville?

A. Having this facility in Circleville provides many opportunities for the district as a whole and the students and residents in the Circleville area specifically. Our physical education classes will utilize the facility throughout the year, getting our students outside for fresh air and exercise. The facility will provide more practice availability for our modified, JV and varsity teams, as well as an additional location for competition; it will allow the district to hold sectional meets for track and field events.

 

Q. Can I still vote if I am not already registered to vote?

A. You do have to be registered in advance to vote.  If you are not registered to vote with the County Board of Elections, you can still register to vote just in school elections by contacting the district clerk, Maria Wise, at our district office – 845-744-2031, ext. 4023, or by emailing maria.wise@pinebushschools.org.

 

Q. I keep hearing about a “Building Condition Survey” that was a large part of the driving force behind this proposal. Exactly what is a Building Condition Survey?

A.  All New York state school districts are required every five years to hire architects and engineers to inspect and assess the condition of their buildings and grounds. The results of that review are provided to both the district and the New York State Education Department in a specific format known as the Building Condition Survey, or BCS. Our last BCS was completed this year.

 

Q. How did the district determine which projects to put into this ?

A. We have a team known as the Central Design Committee to collectively review the BCS, prioritize the projects within that report, to screen and select an architectural/engineering firm capable of designing a large-scale project, and to make a final recommendation to the board of education. They took a list of identified construction work that totaled approximately $121.8 million and narrowed it down to this proposed plan of just over $78 million.

 

Q. Will the capital reserve help with the project?

A. Yes! The money in our capital reserve can ONLY be used to help with building projects. The district has $6 million in reserves. That money will be put toward proposition 1.

 

Q. What would happen if the state changed the state aid associated with the proposed capital project?

A. Based on history, the state has upheld the calculation that was in place at the time the project was approved by the public. The changes therefore only applied prospectively.

 

Email any questions you may have regarding this upcoming capital project to communications@pinebushschools.org. We will post the answers as soon as we have the answers.