CANAJOHARIE – Voters in the Canajoharie Central School District will have the opportunity to vote on a $5,731,300 capital project referendum today from noon to 9 p.m. in the East Hill Elementary Library.
The proposed capital project will have a zero percent impact on the tax levy for the residents of the Canajoharie Central School District, and will address necessary infrastructure needs.
“As our facilities continue to age, it is crucial that we focus on the maintenance issues to ensure we have functional buildings and grounds. It is hard to believe for example that our high school and transportation buildings are 20 years old,” said Superintendent Dr. Nick Fitzgerald. “We love that the school district is the epicenter of the community and we want to continue to use our buildings for not only school related activities but for the community as well. Due to the vision of the Board of Education and administration, the district made sure there were reserve funds so there was no impact to the taxpayers. We understand the times we are in and made sure we took that into account. This project allows us to achieve many goals.”
The proposed capital project puts a heavy focus on maintenance and repairs to district buildings.
At the East Hill/Middle School complex:
- Remove and replace the aging windows throughout the sixth grade wing.
- Replace the roof at the Nellis Gym and the ceilings of the pool locker area. The sand filter at the Nellis Gym pool will also be replaced.
- Upgrade the basketball courts next to the Nellis Gym, adding seating, a four square or pickleball area and a section for wall ball.
- Create an outdoor learning area with separate sections for elementary and middle school students.
At Canajoharie High School:
- Make repairs to the roof and ceilings in and around the cafeteria to fix water damage.
- Reconstruct and repave the traffic circle in front of the school. The current asphalt pavement is more than 20 years old and has a number of cracks.
- Expand and pave the parking area for the soccer/softball fields. This project will reuse asphalt and milling from the traffic circle paving project.
At the Canajoharie bus garage:
- Replace the oil water separator in the maintenance bay
- Refurbish the service bay.
State law requires that the district only use capital reserve funds for construction projects, and it can only spend the money with voter approval. The residents previously approved the creation of a capital reserve fund to offset costs for projects. The Board of Education allocated the reserve funds to ensure there was no tax impact for the project.
More information about the proposal, including a full breakdown of projects, can be found at: https://www.canajoharieschools.org/capital-project/