District asks voters to approve spending
Just when voters thought the election was over, residents of the Haldane school district are being asked to return to the polls on Nov. 19 to vote on a $28.4 million bond referendum to pay for upgrades to campus, including a student center for the high school.
If approved, the referendum would raise property taxes by 6.95 percent, phased in over three years. That’s about $475 a year on a $500,000 home, according to district calculations. The vote will be held from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the elementary school library.
“The district recognizes that this would be a big project for the community that comes with a substantial tax increase,” said Peggy Clements, the school board president. “All the components of the project address pressing needs and would provide educational spaces and opportunities that our students deserve. And we believe that strong, safe public schools benefit our community.”
Although Clements said some residents have expressed concern about the potential tax hike, only a handful of people attended two board sessions to discuss the proposal or have taken a tour, such as one scheduled for 6 p.m. on Tuesday (Nov. 12). The district also has produced an online multimedia campaign with videos (see haldaneschool.org).
The largest portion of the project is a 17,300-square-foot addition to the high school that includes a student center; four classrooms; a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) innovation lab and art room; and student support offices for guidance and wellness.
The student center would give high school students a place to eat lunch. Currently, they can walk down to the cafeteria in the building that houses the elementary and middle schools. But most eat in empty classrooms, hallways, stairwells or, if the weather allows, outside. Many juniors and seniors walk or drive to local lunch spots.
The addition would also provide a place for all 335 high school students to gather as a student body without going to the main building and displacing students or teachers using the gym/auditorium, said Julia Sniffen, the high school principal. “There isn’t a space for the high school to gather without completely disrupting either the elementary school or the middle school.”
The four classrooms would allow the district to move classes out of the Mabel Merritt administration building, with its cramped spaces that fail to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, district leaders said.
The project would also replace or upgrade communication and safety systems. The public-address system is so antiquated, the district can no longer find replacement parts, said Carl Albano, the interim superintendent. “These systems are essential to school operations. I can’t run a school without fire alarm and carbon monoxide detectors and a PA system. Those are basic features, right?”
Haldane also plans to upgrade vestibules to prevent visitors from entering before showing identification and providing a reason for the visit, Albano said. When the high school was built in 2005, few schools had secure entry vestibules, he noted, but today, few don’t.
Another safety measure is a plan to improve traffic flow in consultation with the Village of Cold Spring and the surrounding neighborhoods, said Clements.
The project would include renovated student support spaces in the high school and main building for the district’s social workers, psychologists, behaviorists, occupational therapists, physical therapists and guidance counselors.
Albano said the project would provide a variety of other upgrades, including electrical and masonry repairs. “There are restrooms that need renovation,” he said. “A person with a physical disability would struggle in our district. We’re not ADA-compliant in many areas.”
Lincoln Wayland contributed reporting.
The Haldane Parent Teacher Association encourages you to vote yes on Tuesday (Nov. 19) to approve funding for the proposed capital project.
The school’s infrastructure has not had a major upgrade in years. As an organization that advocates the well-being of all members of the Haldane community, we have listened to the testimonies of students, teachers and administrators who desperately need their conditions to change. The capital project is an opportunity to address these issues by updating essential safety mechanisms, communication tools and expanding the spaces in which students learn and thrive.
We can all have an impact. While the numbers may seem high, this is a lean budget for the essential changes that are needed and the return for the children will be significant. Now is the time to make the changes that the Haldane community confirms are necessary to maintain the high standard of education that we all appreciate. Haldane schools are a core value behind why many of us live here, but they should be protected and supported by all of us.
Coelius is the president of the Haldane PTA.