GST BOCES Capital Improvements Vote 2022
GST BOCES has a strong history of providing quality programs for children as well as maintaining our campus facilities. On March 22, 2022, the Greater Southern Tier BOCES residents will be voting on a “no additional tax impact” Capital Improvement Project. It will be fully funded by leveraging New York State Building Aid, managing debt service payments and reallocating existing funds.
This $20 million project is another step toward enhancing the District’s buildings and programs for current and future students by focusing on campus-wide equity and the replacement of aging infrastructure items.
In an effort to protect past investments, GST BOCES and the Board of Education worked hard to develop a plan that would cause no tax impact on GST BOCES residents or component Districts. Plans include replacement of items that have the potential to fail and/or are substandard as they are at the end of their warranties or expected useful life. Upgrading these items now will not only provide better experiences for students and staff, but it will also allow for the facilities to run at maximum efficiency. Other improvements focus on creating equity among each campus to allow for equal opportunities for all students.
Organizational-wide infrastructure improvements include the replacement of natural gas, electric, water and network fiber. In addition, the Wildwood and Coopers Plains campuses will have their sewer lines replaced. Most of these infrastructure items are original to the building and are not up to current standards. Having out of date infrastructure means more maintenance and the possibility of failure.
Currently, the Wildwood and Coopers Plains campuses do not have indoor athletic facilities and students have their physical education programs in classrooms. This project proposes gymnasium/auditorium additions to both sites, giving students the chance to exercise in an appropriate space. Having these new spaces will open up the possibilities to expand programming as well. Students can benefit from more physical education classes, rec programs and performance space. The community can benefit from the ability to use the space for community events, meetings and adult education classes.
This project will have no additional tax impact on GST BOCES residents or component Districts. It is fully funded by leveraging New York State Building Aid, managing debt service payments and reallocating existing funds.
The vote shall be held on Tuesday, March 22, 2022, between the hours of 12:00PM and 8:00 PM at the Bush Campus in Building #1, the Coopers Plains Campus in Building #8 and the Wildwood Campus in Building #1. Applications for absentee ballots to vote on the proposition may be applied for at the office of the School District Clerk. All District residents are encouraged to exercise their right to vote.
For more information on this project please visit the GST BOCES website at https://www.gstboces.org/.