The Haldane board of education announced that a developer in Fishkill is seeking approval from the town planning board to build a 210-unit manufactured housing project. Located at the former trailer park near the Philipstown/Fishkill border, the project would fall into the Haldane school district.
The board and PTA have raised alarms that approval and construction of the project would result in Haldane bearing the full cost of educating children residing in the development. Estimates of potential enrollment range from 24-114 students. The developer’s impact statement, based upon the lower end of enrollment projections, estimates a minimum $200,000 increase to the school budget.
In spite of the new high school building completed several years ago, space constraints remain at Haldane. An influx of new students, will likely create the need for an additional school building, along with an increase in the number of teachers, administration and staff required. These costs would be borne by the residents of Philipstown.
The PTA says this project far exceeds any single housing development ever built in Philipstown. The maintain that no information was furnished to either the Town Board or the School Board, and no advice was sought.
This project is on the agenda for the Thursday, June 10th Fishkill Planning Board meeting, 7:00pm in the Fishkill Town Hall, 807 Route 52, Fishkill, NY 12524.
Further information may be found at the following websites.
http://sites.google.com/site/haldanepta/Home/news-flash or
http://haldanepta.blogspot.com/
Good, current information is also available at http://philipstownfacts.com.
Thanks for the compliment. We have posted a link to your site. Look down the right side under Public Issues Sites.