By Staff     

Mar. 14, 2018:  Bronxville residents voted to approve a proposed $24.8 million capital improvements bond project for The Bronxville School in a referendum held yesterday, March 13. The unofficial vote was 511 in favor of the proposition and 97 against.

Dr. Roy R. Montesano, superintendent of the Bronxville schools, thanked the Bronxville community in an e-mail sent on Tuesday night: 

The project calls for site and infrastructure improvements and repairs and improvements to "enhance the teaching and learning environment," explains Montesano in a January 12 letter to the community.

The sources of financing for the $24.8 million project are a $21.8 million bond, $1 million from the school's capital reserve fund, and $2 million from operations. As reported by MyhometownBronxville in January, "The district also expects to receive state aid for the project from the New York State Department of Education, which could range from ten to twenty percent of the total cost. [School board president Jeff Rohr] said those funds could be used to offset interest on the proposed bond."

Specifically, voters were asked, "Shall the proposition ... to make expenditures for an addition to and the reconstruction and construction of improvements to the Bronxville School, including site improvements, at a maximum estimated cost of $24,800,000, and providing that $21,800,000 of such sum shall be raised by a tax levy to be collected in annual installments with District obligations to be issued in anticipation thereof and to expend $1,000,000 from the Capital Projects Reserve Fund and $2,000,000 of available funds therefor, be approved?"

As described in Montesano's letter to the community:

The scope of the work is centered around three principal areas:

•  Site improvements and repairs,

•  Infrastructure improvements and repairs, and

•  Program (student) related improvements

The site improvements and repairs include the replacement of the Chambers Field and track (which was installed in 2006 with an estimated useful life of 10 years), the replacement of the elementary school playground (which was installed in 2002 and has reached the end of its useful life), and the installation of three additional pumps to complete the flood mitigation project.

The infrastructure improvements and repairs include the restoration of the school front façade to comply with regulations of the American Disabilities Act, major roofing replacements and repairs, masonry work, brick pointing, electrical panel upgrades, plumbing, air conditioning in parts of the building, ventilation, and the replacement of certain flooring and ceiling tile sections.

He explains that additional "improvements ... to enhance the teaching and learning environment" are a renovated and expanded health office, a new guidance center, expansion of the cafeteria, renovation and expansion of the third-floor learning space, renovation of the old boiler room to an engineering/innovative design space, and renovation of the high school entry.

As explained on the school's website, the $24.8 million bond project "is tax-neutral, meaning the district will not need to raise additional tax revenue to support the referendum project. This is due to expiring debt from an earlier bond, which will retire in 2020, when the debt for this bond will start. ... The voter-approved borrowing [allows] the district to absorb the repayment of the new debt into its budget without causing additional property tax growth."

For more information on the project, click here for an article in MyhometownBronxville, click here for the superintendent's letter to the community explaining the project, and click here for an explanation on the school's website.

Photo by A. Warner