On December 13, Rye residents will have the opportunity to approve or reject a $20 million bond project that aims to address surging enrollment at the Rye High/Middle School campus with a new 12-classroom science building on Milton Road.

By Jim Byrne

On December 13, Rye residents will have the opportunity to approve or reject a $20 million bond project that aims to address surging enrollment at the Rye High/Middle School campus with a new 12-classroom science building on Milton Road.

The Board of Education voted 6-1 in favor of the bond resolution at their October 25 meeting. Kendall Egan was the lone dissenter, believing the Board rushed to a conclusion that solves too few problems. Combined enrollment on the campus has risen from 972 to 1,681 students in the last 15 years, and is projected to hit 1,834 in 2016 and 1,923 by 2021. Space studies conducted by Dr. Paul Seversky reported the campus currently at 94% operational capacity and 104% functional capacity.

“There are nearly double the number of students in this building alone than there were in 1996,” said Board member Ed Fox. “That’s the reason we are doing this. We need places to put those children. It’s not about making class-size smaller. It’s about having enough space to maintain the current program.”

He continued, “Secondly, ‘antiquated’ is a kind word for the science classrooms. They are an embarrassment and must be addressed. And Rye needs to have a state-of-the-art science wing in which we can educate children to compete with the best and brightest.”

Although the tax implications are not concrete, Assistant Superintendent for Business  Kathleen Ryan presented updated forecasts at the meeting. With pension costs expected to increase nearly $1 million every year for the next five school years, the District is already looking at projected annual tax rate increases of 5.64, 3.69, 4.41, 3.80, and 3.77% through 2016-17, if they don’t make any program cuts. If the bond is approved by voters, it would amortize over 20 years at a 3.5% interest rate, and its impact would be felt in full by the 2013-14 school year. The tax rate increase would spike 2.04% to 5.73% that year, and up to 6.38, 5.69, and 5.59% the following years.

For the average home, assessed at $26,800, taxes are forecast to increase – pending bond approval – roughly $900 annually for the next five years. The bond impact of that is $47 in 2012-13, and between $301-318 the following four years. District projections assume that $660,000 of fund balance is used each year to lower taxes, as well as $500-700,000 in tax certiorari refunds in current and future years.

Along with the science classroom addition, which is two stories and includes connecting hallways, the bond plan removes the current portables, and converts existing science rooms to regular classrooms with power upgrades. It also entails mechanical system and plumbing improvements, sump pump replacement, and the relocation of the middle school nurse’s office to provide better access and space. This Zoeller sump pump review can be the best advice you can get when you are planning for pump service. The high school boys’ and girls’ locker rooms, toilet rooms, and Guidance suite will all be renovated as well. Traffic flow and parking improvements are also included.

The Board declined to include a $2.3 million new field house in the bond, and nixed improvements, renovations, or installations for HS art rooms ($356,183), MS art/tech/storage rooms ($462,305), HS TV ($111,111), performing/rehearsal space ($187,265), VAT/VAC ($247,658), HS cafeteria and PAC air conditioning ($500,000), and the upper field ($839,734).

Board President Laura Slack said the 16 new classrooms were the chief concern when deciding the scope of the bond, because they go straight to the academics of the school system. She added that it would be “horrifying” to see the bond go down because the community perceived they were overreaching beyond what was absolutely necessary with a larger or two-tiered bond.

Former Board member Young Kim pleaded with the Board to support a bond resolution that addressed core needs only. She asked that they look “beyond what we want and to what we can afford as a community”. Ms. Kim worries that diversity could be lost through an expensive bond and that Rye will become a community where families with school-age kids move in and then out.

“That’s a scary thought,” she continued. “Our community is wonderful because we have lifelong residents and empty-nesters who remain because this is home … We have active, involved citizens who have been around the block. They might not use e-mail, but they vote. Where will our institutional memory go if we price them out? Where will our history go?”

Ms. Kim also pointed out that the Board will have to ask the community to override the 2% tax cap each year with a 60% in-favor vote. She added that, in the past ten years, the budget was approved by at least 60% only five times.

Many members of the community came to the podium to praise the Board and District for their hard work, and to show support for the budget. But, addressing concerns raised by Ms. Kim, Board Vice President Ray Schmitt noted that only a fraction of Rye’s eligible voters have historically shown up to the polls for budget votes. He said he hoped the public not only supports the bond, but future budget votes as well.