BBSD slims down bond proposal
August 22, 2024 at 12:56 a.m.
With one week left to approve a proposal that would place a bond referendum in front of voters on Oct. 22, the Blind Brook School District has made several amendments to the options previously offered to the public.
Those choices, organized to tackle the district’s needs by priority, remain intact. Residents have been asked to inform the board which they prefer—whether it be Option A, B, or C.
At the second and final town hall the district hosted on Tuesday, Aug. 20, Superintendent Dr. Colin Byrne revealed several projects proposed during the last discussion had been removed.
That reduction brought the highest possible bond price, Option C, to $23.82 million, down from the $28.73 million presented two weeks ago on Aug. 7.
Additionally, several items have moved from one category to another, as the district has reevaluated their priorities.
Though some things changed, the costs of projects remained static, including the one that sparked the bond discussion.
The field improvements, including the repair of the track surrounding the multipurpose field and returfing the baseball diamond, are still estimated to cost $3.94 million.
Throughout the night, neither the board nor those in attendance demonstrated a predilection towards any of the three choices.
What got changed?
Byrne’s presentation quickly dove into the most front-facing changes seen in the night’s proposals—items that were removed.
He said the district still considered the projects important, but they were shed from the bond propositions for the sake of reducing the cost.
The list of removed items are as follows:
*Installation of district-wide generators
*Additional security cameras and upgrades
*New bleachers for the baseball field
*Additional storage space at the Middle/High School
*Installing an adaptive swing at the Ridge Street School playground
*New ADA compliant handrails at Ridge Street School
*Creating an additional egress for a high school classroom
*Renovations to the administration building offices
*Creating outdoor learning spaces at the Middle/High School
*Adding air conditioning into the district’s network closets
The omitted improvements decreased a total of $4.9 million from the bond proposals.
Though items were removed, Byrne clarified the district would not be forgetting about those projects but instead opted to address them later.
“Hopefully we can get to them outside of a bond project,” he said.
Other items still on the table were shifted in terms of priority.
The reconfiguration of the unified arts classrooms, including the now-defunct Home Economics kitchen space, has been moved from Option B to A. It would convert the three rooms into two to allow better collaboration among teachers using the technology classrooms.
A renovation to a too-small computer lab, which currently only has enough space for six students to use, has also been added to the list of top priority projects.
One of the more notable shifts to Option C is the $2 million project that would add more accessories, such as a press box and outdoor lighting system, to the fields.
The changes create new price tags for each proposal potential, which comes with new tax implications.
The new A, B, and C
Each option, when compared to the initially presented numbers, has been reduced. Though Option C sees the biggest differential—down $4.91 million.
Options A and B both see less of a reduction—$130,000 and $1.87 million, respectively.
The cheapest of the three, Option A, would see the district go out to bond for $13.93 million. Laurie Baum, the assistant superintendent of finance and facilities, estimated it would see an annual cost of $1.19 million.
Option B, totaling $19.55 million, would see the district pay $1.68 million every year.
The priciest proposal, Option C, would see residents vote on a $23.82 million bond on Oct. 22. It would bring an annual payment of $2.05 million.
Baum was quick to explain that, because the 2006 bond will be paid off by the time payments begin in 2026, Option A will have a minor impact on taxpayers’ bills—without any other tax levy increases taken into account.
For a home assessed at $1 million, the average value for a single-family home, Option A would imply an increased payment of $33 from the homeowner.
Option B would cost taxpayers an additional $165, while Option C would see a $265 spike in the average bill.
As with savings seen from the removals and restructuring of the bond proposals, the largest difference in tax increase compared to figures presented two weeks ago can be found in Option C, which was reduced by $105.
Option A sees a very slight increase of $1.32, while Option B brings a reduction of $37.
After the presentation, Board President Jeff Mensch was quick to add that all the costs and associated tax increases were based on projections.
“Everything that we’re looking at is an estimate. It is our sincere hope that everything comes in under that,” he said. He echoed the sentiment that the board was looking for input, comments and suggestions about the bond options.
However, when it came to public comment, the community had different priorities.
Keeping things in working order
During the period, no one expressed a preference towards any of the options.
Michael Rosenblut, a frequent attendee at board meetings, asked about how the district could ensure things would be properly maintained should the public vote in favor of the bond.
Mensch responded that the district would be looking towards employing a full-time maintenance worker to ensure things would stay in good condition.
One resident, whose comment was read by Byrne, asked if security for the fields would be improved.
The superintendent said the bond included improvements to the fences surrounding each greenspace, but there was little else that could be done. He said a full-time security guard could be hired, but it would not be financially viable.
One suggestion that arose from the public came from Richard Stumpf, the father of a rising senior. He said that the Friends of Blind Brook, a nonprofit organization that fundraises for the district’s athletics program, was willing to help alleviate the cost of some baseball field improvements by donating $57,000. Mensch expressed interest in the idea and said the district would follow up.
Board Vice President Samantha Smith ended the discussion by asking those in attendance to spread the word about the bond proposal. She said she’s heard families express unfamiliarity with the topic, despite the emails and reminders sent out.
Anyone interested in offering their thoughts on the bond can do so by sending them to [email protected]
The board is expected to approve a bond proposal at their next meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 28. It would then be voted on by the public during a referendum on Oct. 22.
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