Phase 2b has been completed (Elementary & Jr/Sr High School Roofs)

Phase 1 has been awarded (Elementary Cafeteria & Library)

Documents

Preliminary Schedule as of January 28, 2020
Draft LOI (Letter's of Intent)

Construction Manager Update March 15 2022

Construction Manager Update August 23 2022


Project Priorities
Voters in 2018 identified the following as priorities for the project:
• Reduce Cost
• Secure Our Buildings
• Replace End-of-Life Roofs, Plumbing & Masonry (Infrastructure)
• Expand Student Areas to Reduce Crowding

Voters in the Ellenville Central School District will be asked to weigh in on a Capital Project proposal on Tuesday, December 3 from 8 AM to 8 PM at the High School Media Center. After carefully considering community feedback provided by an exit poll conducted at the unsuccessful 2018 vote and reviewing a thorough analysis of proposed work from our District’s architects and construction managers, the Ellenville Board of Education eliminated $8.7 million of proposed updates to focus the project on items the community identified as priorities. The new, reduced project cost is $19,995,000, a 30 percent reduction in cost.
“We took the exit poll results to heart and made significant changes to reduce the cost and align the work with the priorities that the community identified in the survey,” explains Lisa A. Wiles, Superintendent of Schools. “The new project focuses efforts on securing our schools, fixing aged infrastructure, and reducing overcrowding and other space deficiencies that impact student programs.”

What’s Included? 
• One way to reduce potential threats in our schools is to limit building access. Slowing an intruder down can reduce the severity of bad intentions. Securing our entrances and other safety items are included. 
• Just like homeowners must do with their houses, the District must keep its infrastructure in good condition. Architects and engineers identified outdated systems that have reached the end of their life expectancy. Legally required Americans with Disabilities (ADA) upgrades to make our buildings accessible are also planned.
• The needs of our student population have changed in the past several decades. The number of students who remain in-district for special education classes and who receive additional services has grown significantly. Modern instructional practices also utilize space differently. The project addressed overcrowded areas and updates areas that are ill-functioning for modern learning practices. 

How Much Will it Cost Me?
The $19,995,000 project reflects an $8.7 million reduction in cost and results in a tax impact of nearly half that of the original 2018 project. The District will receive 70% State Aid reimbursement on qualifying work, and $500,000 from the District’s capital fund (money earmarked for building improvements) will be applied to help offset the cost of any non-aidable work.
New York State recognizes that it is fiscally unrealistic to fund large-scale projects from the annual operating budget, so permits borrowing—which allows repayment to occur over time (in this case, 15 years). 

Estimated cost per $100,000 assessed value*
with maximum aid: $54.23 annually; $4.52 monthly
with minimum aid: $65.67 annually; $5.47 monthly
*figures rounded

This range is calculated based on estimates of receiving varying levels of State Aid for expanding the Elementary School library and cafeteria. The aid levels for this portion of the project cannot be projected until the New York State Education Department receives and reviews final architectural plans. The more aid this work qualifies for, the less the local tax impact will be. 
Why Now?
The construction experts advise that addressing the items identified in the project now protects against more serious and costly system failures, as well as cost escalations due to inflation and market demand, and helps ensure the continued safe operation of buildings. If approved, roofing work is anticipated to begin in the summer of 2020, with the remaining part of the project starting in 2022.

About Voting & Absentee Ballots 
Polls will be open on Tuesday, December 3, from 8 AM to 8 PM, in the Ellenville High School Media Center. To be eligible to vote, you must be: 
• Registered to vote. 
• 18 years of age or older. 
• A citizen of the United States and a resident of the Ellenville Central School District for at least 30 days immediately prior to the vote. 

Absentee ballots are available at the District Office for people unable to vote at the polls. If the voter would like an absentee ballot mailed, the District Clerk must receive an application for an absentee ballot at least seven (7) days before the election. If the ballots are to be picked up personally at the District Clerk’s Office at 28 Maple Ave., Ellenville, they must be picked up at least the day before the election (providing that an approved application for an absentee ballot has been received by the District Clerk). Absentee ballots must be returned to the District Clerk’s Office by 5 PM on the day of the election. For more information, call the District Office at (845) 647-0100.

What’s Included:

Community-Identified Priority 1: 

SECURE OUR BUILDINGS 
One way to reduce potential threats in our schools is to limit building access. Slowing an intruder down can reduce the severity of bad intentions. Safety and security updates include the following:
• Redesign building entrances to include separate, locked areas for visitors to be screened before entering. 
• Replace identified interior and exterior aged and insecure doors.*  
• Replace inefficient and insecure windows, many of which are original to the building and include single-pane designs.*
• Relocate Elementary School Nurse’s Office to improve security and provide ADA accessibility.
• Replace deteriorated and insecure athletic field fencing.  
• Replace cracked and heaving parking lots and sidewalks to eliminate trip hazards. 

Community-Identified Priority 2: 

FIX ROOFS, PLUMBING, AND MASONRY
Just like homeowners must do with their houses, the District must keep its infrastructure in good condition. Architects and engineers identified outdated systems that have reached the end of their life expectancy. Legally required Americans with Disabilities (ADA) upgrades to make our buildings accessible are also planned. Infrastructure work includes the following:
• Replace the remainder of leaky, end-of-life roofing.
• Replace end-of-life plumbing and sanitary piping in High School restrooms.
• Replace and reseal crumbling exterior brick masonry to prevent rain and moisture from damaging buildings.
• Replace ineffective (some original to the building) roof exhausts that have exceeded their useful life.*