B-B goes back to voters for school project

B-B goes back to voters for school project

Officials in the Byron-Bergen Central School District have decided to put a $29.5 million repair and renovation project up for a second vote. "The board of education voted unanimously at its August 23 meeting to take the project back out to voters," Superintendent Gregory Geer said. The new vote on the capital project is scheduled for Tuesday, October 16 from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the high school fitness wrestling room.

The "New Millennium Capital Project" was rejected by district residents on June 6 by a vote of 658-543. The new proposal eliminates Proposition 2 that called for the construction of access roads.

In a letter to district residents the board of education states that it, " … strongly believes that this plan addresses the needs of the district for the following reasons: Maintaining and repairing existing buildings and infrastructure, improving safety and security and reconfiguring existing space and adding space to improve educational services for students." The letter also states that the board of education spent "considerable time analyzing results of exit polling and discussing the outcome with district residents. The board of education is always working to deliver education to our children in a cost effective manner. This project reflects this philosophy."

Geer said the new proposition includes a $1.72 million local share which translates to 36 cents per $1,000 assessed property valuation without STAR exemptions. That's 50 cents per $1,000 less than the June proposal. "The savings come from the removal of Proposition 2 and an additional $300,000 in funds that will be applied to the local share. That money comes from interest earnings and other sources," Geer said.

"The board of education encourages district residents to become informed about the project," Geer said. "The district will work as best as we can to get the word out, feedback from exit polls at the June vote indicated misconceptions about the project." Information on the project can be found at www.bbcs.k12.ny.us. The district also plans to utilize several methods for getting the word out, "We will hold outreach meetings at various locations and make use of other methods of communication," Geer said.