Scarsdale Board of Education Sets December Date for $18.12 Million Bond Referendum

The following announcement is from the Scarsdale Board of Education:

The Scarsdale Board of Education unanimously voted to call for a bond referendum on Thursday, December 11, 2014. The referendum is for one Bond Proposition totaling $18.12 million.

The Board made its decision last night after extensive outreach and input from school administrators, faculty, staff and the community, starting in 2012. The proposed bond referendum includes the highest priority projects for each of the schools, as determined through the collaborative work of building and steering committees, administrative recommendations, Board study and analysis, and community feedback.

The Board concluded that from a financial perspective, this decision is fiscally prudent. Interest rates for borrowing remain at historically low levels, and maturing debt enables the work to be done without increasing annual debt service costs to the taxpayers.

In addition to the capital projects that are to be funded through the proposed bond financing, the Scarsdale Education Foundation has generously offered to support two other projects at Scarsdale High School: a new Design Lab for $1.8 million and a new Fitness Center for $800,000. The District will use $500,000 of capital funds previously approved by voters for these projects to complete the necessary funding. This support from the Foundation will be further enhanced by the donation of state?of?the?art exercise equipment, totaling $300,000, for the new Fitness Center by the Madoff family, in memory of their son Tyler, a Scarsdale High School student. The Board expressed its deepest appreciation to the Foundation and the Madoff family for these generous gifts.

Bond Referendum

The $18.12 million bond provides funds for facility repairs, infrastructure improvements and District-wide technology upgrades. The Board noted that upon completion, these capital projects will enable the District to fulfill its mission of educating each child in a safe, appropriate and stimulating environment by:

* Alleviating overcrowding
* Improving security
* Providing the tools for moving forward with 21st century teaching and learning

The anticipated capital projects are:

District-wide:
Upgrade of the District’s technology infrastructure - $1.4 million

Edgewood School:
Reconstruction of the library and relocation of the school office - $3.56 million

Heathcote School:
New multipurpose room and additional small group instruction rooms - $3.387 million

Quaker Ridge School:
New roof - $ 908,000

Middle School:
New orchestra classroom and a renovated music room - $2.097 million

High School:

* Renovation of Gym B and existing Fitness Center into a Learning Commons, Innovation Lab and collaborative meeting spaces, along with additional food preparation, serving and dining areas, and renovation of Gym A - $5.091 million


* Relocation and renovation of storage and offices for physical education, athletics program to facilitate creation of the Design Lab - $677,000


* Renovation and repairs to the auditorium and backstage areas - $1.0 million

More information about the bond referendum and these capital projects is available at the Scarsdale Public Schools website: www.scarsdaleschools.org.

Photo: The 2014-15 Scarsdale Board of Education