Fallsburg School District Voters to Decide on $56.5 Million Capital Project With No Tax Increase cover art

Fallsburg School District Voters to Decide on $56.5 Million Capital Project With No Tax Increase

Fallsburg School District Voters to Decide on $56.5 Million Capital Project With No Tax Increase

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 Voters in the Fallsburg Central School District will decide February 3 whether to approve a $56.5 million capital project aimed at addressing long-standing building issues, improving safety, and upgrading heating and cooling systems across district schools — a proposal district leaders say would come with no increase to local school taxes.The proposal was the focus of a recent conversation on Radio Catskill, where Superintendent Dr. Ivan Katz outlined what’s being proposed, why now is the right moment, and what families should know ahead of the vote.Years in the Making — and Prompted by HeatDr. Katz said the capital project has been years in the making, driven largely by deteriorating parking lots and the growing need to address extreme heat inside school buildings.“We’ve planned for several years to fix our deteriorating parking lots,” Katz said. “We knew it would be expensive to do so, so we set up capital reserves.”Those reserves — funds set aside specifically for major projects — were approved by voters in advance, particularly for heating and air-conditioning upgrades, which Katz described as the most expensive components of the proposal.The timeline accelerated after a New York State law passed in 2024 set 88 degrees as the maximum allowable temperature for occupancy in public school buildings beginning in September 2025.“That law prompted us to have to take action,” Katz said. “We needed to make sure that hot temperatures wouldn’t affect school attendance for kids.”Heat Already Disrupting LearningWhile a state-required Building Conditions Survey completed in 2023 identified a number of facility needs, Katz said the urgency became clear during last year’s heat waves.“This past June, our school buildings were getting so hot — especially cafeterias and gymnasiums — that we had to close school early on several days,” he said.Those early dismissals came during Regents exams and other end-of-year activities.“Losing necessary school time was not something we wanted to have as an ongoing concern in the years to come,” Katz added.Parking, Traffic, and Safety ImprovementsA major portion of the proposal focuses on replacing and widening parking lots at both the junior-senior high school and Benjamin Cosor Elementary School.The elementary school’s only entrance, Katz said, is currently about 40 feet wide — creating congestion during drop-off, pick-up, and school events.“We often need police present to direct traffic,” he said. “Creating additional parking and changing the layout of the entrance by adding an additional lane will help address some of the congestion that we get.”Smaller Projects With Immediate ImpactBeyond HVAC and parking upgrades, the project includes several smaller improvements expected to affect daily operations and security.Among them is the installation of card-swipe access for classroom doors.“Card swipes will make our classrooms safer,” Katz said. “Classroom doors will always be in a locked position and will eliminate the issues that happen when staff members lose or misplace their keys.”Other upgrades include fuel tank replacements nearing the end of their useful life, masonry repairs, trash compactors, and updates to libraries and learning spaces.How the District Plans to Avoid a Tax IncreaseDespite the project’s size, Katz said it is structured to avoid any increase in local school taxes — now or in future budgets.“This is the question I get asked most,” he said.The $56.5 million project would be funded through three primary sources:About $41 million in New York State building aidRoughly $11 million from the district’s capital reserve funds$5.2 million in retired debt from previous projects“When you add those together, you have a project equaling just under $57 million,” Katz said.The district qualifies for approximately 72 percent state building aid, meaning the state would reimburse roughly 72 cents for every eligible dollar spent.“Our past projects have also come in at a zero percent increase in taxes,” Katz said. “Past performance is the best indicator that I can offer.”Second Proposition: Property Purchase Near Elementary SchoolVoters will also be asked to consider a second proposition to purchase a neighboring property near Benjamin Cosor Elementary School.The purchase would allow the district to widen the school’s only entrance and exit — a change Katz said is especially important for emergency vehicle access.“Our current entrance makes it very challenging for emergency vehicles to gain entrance at times when we have high traffic,” he said.Like the main capital project, the property purchase would be funded through capital reserves and would not increase local school taxes, according to the district.Timeline and What Voters Will SeeIf voters approve both propositions, major construction would begin during the summers of 2027 and 2028, with some work potentially extending into 2029....
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