Residents to Vote on Capital Projects on October 2nd

Proposed MS Science Lab Renovations

On Tuesday, October 2, Village residents will have the opportunity to cast their ballots on a proposition to fund long-planned facilities improvements. In January 2011, the Bronxville Board of Education adopted a Five-Year Capital Plan that identified science lab upgrades, auditorium renovations, and ongoing infrastructure needs as key priorities. The plan grew out of the building conditions survey that was conducted in the fall of 2010.

The current proposition presents to voters a $4.5 million bond. We estimate the total project will not exceed $10 million, but the Board has leveraged funding in several important ways that reduce the impact on local property owners:

• A public-private partnership would offset the total costs to a significant degree. The Bronxville School Foundation, PTA, and private citizens have contributed over $3 million to the auditorium project. Their contributions enhance the quality of the planned renovations beyond what would be possible by tax revenues alone.
• An additional $2.5 million would come from the District's existing construction reserve.
• By refinancing existing debt, the District has realized additional savings of $420,770, or approximately $50,000 annually.

Proposed side lobby addition

The specific projects under consideration were developed and refined through an open, multi-year process of feasibility studies, building conditions surveys, space analysis, and conceptual design. The designs evolved through several stages with the participation of school staff, parents, architects and specialists, and the Board of Education. The Board's facilities committee, which includes public representation, reviewed several options for scope and cost, and finally the Board of Education commissioned an independent review that resulted in the schematic design as it now stands. If the referendum passes, design development will begin, with ongoing monitoring by the Facilities Committee. It is anticipated that value engineering will further reduce costs.  As is the normal course of events in school construction projects, the final plans and associated budget will be approved when the Board of Education authorizes the request to go out to bid in the late spring of 2013. We encourage citizens to review the schematic designs on the school 's webpage devoted to the Capital Plan. 

The vote will be held on October 2nd. in the Elementary School Multi-Purpose Room, 177 Pondfield Rd., Bronxville, NY 10708. The polls will be open from 7 AM to 9 PM.