On Tuesday, November 29, BC voters will consider a $32.2 million Facilities Improvement Capital Project that would address infrastructure needs throughout the district. Voting will take place from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the High School Upper Gym (Gym A).
The same wear and tear you encounter in your own home also happens to the Bethlehem Central School District’s buildings and grounds. With more than 4,600 students and 800 employees moving through our classrooms, hallways and buildings every day, the scope of work needed to provide a safe and encouraging learning environment can be overwhelming.
These infrastructure needs sometimes are greater than the day-to-day maintenance our staff can provide and many are projects that the annual budget can not support. They require careful, advance planning in both logistics and budget.
That is why district residents will head to the polls on Tuesday, November 29 to vote on a bond referendum totaling $32,165,551 that will be used to pay for 111 separate projects across the district. If approved, work on these projects would get underway in the spring of 2019 and could be completed as early as November 2020.
New York State building aid would be applied to approximately 95% of the total cost of the project. The district is eligible for state aid reimbursement at a rate of approximately 68.6 percent. In addition to the state aid, the district estimates using $4.9 million from a capital reserve fund to reduce the total cost of the project. With state and use of the capital reserve, the estimated annual cost for a homeowner in the district would be $16 per $100,000 of assessed property value, or approximately $40 on a property valued at $250,000.
Learn more about the estimated tax impact of the proposed bond project.
Are you eligible to vote? Do you need an absentee ballot?
Frequently Asked Questions – Fall 2016 Bond Project
View or download fact sheet [PDF]
Approximately 53% of the 111 individual projects that are planned as part of the Facilities Improvement Project will take place at the district’s largest property, the high school, which serves more than 1,630 students. If approved by voters, the centerpiece of the project will be an extensive $7.8 million renovation of the high school auditorium. The auditorium renovation was the top priority identified by the Board of Education in the list of projects it voted to include in the bond referendum. The list represents just over one-third of the $88 million in infrastructure needs identified in the most recent building conditions survey completed in December 2015.
Public discussion of the project scope, its estimated cost, and review of individual projects began in May 2016. Click here for a review of the bond development process.
View the proposed capital project list by building:
- Eagle Elementary School
- Elsmere Elementary School
- Glenmont Elementary School
- Hamagrael Elementary School
- Slingerlands Elementary School
- Middle School
- High School
- Transportation
- Operations & Maintenance
Eagle Elementary School
- Add security cameras.
- Add exterior exit door to cafeteria.
- Add 8 parking spaces on south side.
- Expand play area behind building and improve drainage along paved area.
- Install new playground equipment (with additional support from PTA).
- Install drop curb for snow removal.
- Add air conditioning in 2nd floor library.
Elsmere Elementary School
- Asbestos abatement in various areas of the school.
- Reconfigure main office to improve front entry security.
- Add security cameras.
- Renovate gym including restoration of masonry, stage area and replacement of wall padding and backstops.
- Replace stage curtains with flame retardant curtains.
- Roof replacement.
- Exterior masonry restoration.
- Replace windows at 1964 wings.
- Outdoor play area resurfacing.
- Reconfigure traffic flow and add parking.
- Replace pavement and improve drainage. Add/replace site lighting.
- Replace sidewalk near flagpole, make entrances ADA accessible.
- Replace drainage pipe.
- Add storage building.
- Hot water pipe replacement.
- Stair refurbishment, new handrails
Glenmont Elementary School
- Full kitchen renovation, including new equipment, reconfigured serving line.
- Add security cameras.
- Replace pavement, make drainage improvements in parking area.
- Resurface basketball courts.
- Replace stage curtains with flame retardant curtains.
- Add ADA lift at stage.
- Replace fire alarm components.
- Refinish metal roofing on 1991 addition.
Hamagrael Elementary School
- Pavement reconstruction and drainage.
- Add security cameras.
- Refinish metal roofing on 1991 addition.
Slingerlands Elementary School
- Exterior masonry repairs near main entrance.
- Replace bus parking pavement.
- Add security cameras.
- Renovate girls’ and boys’ restrooms in 1989 wing.
- Repave front parking lot.
- Replace deteriorated sidewalks.
Bethlehem Central High School
- Renovate High School Auditorium using existing footprint.
- Renovate and reconfigure the Library Media Center (LMC) by expanding windows to allow for more natural light, replace carpet, lighting, ceiling tiles and furniture.
- Renovate all restrooms in B, D, F and G wings.
- Provide additional security cameras.
- Baseball field improvements including grading and drainage, replacing pitcher’s mound/plates, adding new backstops, fencing and plates on JV and varsity fields. New dugouts/storage at varsity field.
- Renovate & reconfigure high school main office and replace existing main office HVAC system.
- Renovate large D-122 classroom.
- Continue upgrades to pool area including repair to pool deck tile, drain replacement, replace bleachers, add PA system, upgrade ceiling, acoustics. Replace pool filter/pump.
- Renovate/reconfigure high school kitchen, replace ceiling, add new lighting, soffits, separate office from kitchen prep area.
- Replace “press box” at stadium field for safety of game announcers, coaches, and media.
- Replace home and visitor bleachers at stadium field with ADA compliant bleachers. This will expand capacity from 1,000 to 1,500 on “home” side and 500 to 1,000 on “visitor” side.
- New drainage at fenced practice field.
- Refinish/replace corroded exterior steel supports.
- Window replacements in D wing to increase energy efficiency.
- Sidewalk replacement near C wing.
- Asbestos abatement in certain areas
- Pave gravel access road off Elm Avenue to allow 20 new parking spaces near athletic fields.
- Install drop curb in southwest parking lot.
- Repair/replace leaking skylights in F wing.
- Replace hot water tank in F wing, make heating and air handling improvements.
- Provide ADA compliant restrooms near the event parking lot located off Elm Avenue. Provide small storage area in building.
- Extend existing irrigation to allow more efficient watering of athletic fields.
Bethlehem Central Middle School
- Replace windows in original building (1932) and select windows in other areas.
- Provide additional security cameras throughout the school.
- Kitchen reconfiguration to improve efficiency.
- Renovate nurse’s office to increase privacy, functionality.
- Replace roofing in pool/locker room wing, media center and band/chorus wing.
- Replace damaged skylights in band/chorus classrooms.
- Refinish/repair steel supports where corroded.
- Miscellaneous asbestos abatement.
- Replace flooring in older wings (1932 and 1956).
- Replace stage curtains with new flame-retardant curtains.
- Replace interior doors/hardware in 1932 and 1956 wings.
- Pave gravel area of parking lot.
- Upgrade pool tile and equipment, prep and refinish steel structure, replace starting blocks; replace old pipes.
- Replace summer boiler.
- Replace hot water ventilators in Rooms 045 and 039.
- Upgrade public address (PA) system.
- Replace upper gym floor, bleachers and wall pads.
- Make improvements to track field.
- Add additional outdoor storage.
Transportation
- Renovate school bus driver training area.
- Provide additional security cameras.
- Replace roof over existing building.
Operations & Maintenance
- Add 10 parking spaces.
- Modify driveway to accommodate larger trailers.
- Provide additional security cameras.