Referendum provides $28.4 million for upgrades
Haldane school district voters on Tuesday (Nov. 19) approved a $28.4 million bond referendum, by a 724-445 vote, to pay for upgrades on campus, including a student center for the high school.
The referendum will raise property taxes by 6.95 percent over three years. That’s about $475 a year on a $500,000 home, according to district calculations.
Voter turnout was about 26 percent.
“I’m very pleased,” said Carl Albano, the district’s interim superintendent. “It shows that the community really understands the needs of the district from a facilities perspective and from an educational perspective.”
Albano said that design work on the project will begin immediately. Pending approvals from the state Education Department, he hopes that some work will begin over the summer of 2025.
The largest portion of the capital plan 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. Albano said construction likely will begin in the summer of 2026 and take up to two years.
The student center will give high school students a place to eat lunch. Currently, Haldane’s 335 high schoolers can walk 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 will also provide a place for 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, before the vote. “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 will 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 will also replace or upgrade communication and safety systems. The public-address system is so antiquated, the district can no longer find replacement parts, said Albano.
Haldane will 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 surrounding neighborhoods.
The project will 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 will 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.”
With a 26 percent voter turnout, 74 percent of eligible voters didn’t have an opinion. At $28,359,948, this amount directly increases homeowners’ taxes at a time when inflation is ongoing at many levels.
Looking at each line item, it’s hard to deny that the Haldane School district needs many of these improvements. But one wonders if there wasn’t a more fair and equitable way to charge these costs instead of on hardworking homeowners. If you own a home, it’s not just added taxes, it’s higher insurance, it’s upkeep and repairs, and it’s maintenance. Think about that trade-off!
I voted for the Haldane expansion capital budget. On purely selfish grounds, I should have voted no. My grandson has already graduated. My granddaughter will graduate before the new facilities come online. My daughter and son-in-law are taxpayers in Cold Spring and, although I rent an apartment, my landlord will almost certainly pass along tax increases in the form of a rent increase. Our expenses will go up and our personal benefits will not.
And let’s face it: Most taxpayers do not have children or grandchildren poised to take advantage of the improved facilities at the high school. So why did it pass?
I propose that the reason it passed, and the reason I voted for it, is the recognition that local infrastructure — whether sewers, paved streets, a fire station, a recreation center or an extension of the high school — contributes to our collective quality of life. It is hard to quantify how much value individuals realize from collective goods like roads, schools and sewers, but it is not zero.
A well-appointed school building with appropriate places for student activities (e.g., a lunchroom), combined with excellent educational services delivered within that building, is a major attraction for families thinking of relocating here. That increases the value of the property owned by everyone in town. Conversely, once a town becomes known for a failing school system, the reverse happens. People sell and move, people choose not to come and property values fall.
The people who voted yes — even to raise their taxes, even if their families will not directly benefit — understood this. Those who voted no will benefit from the long-term appreciation of their properties anyway.
Forgetting all the personal and collective benefits, let’s remember that good public education is the essential foundation for knowledgeable and good citizens. As the French observer de Tocqueville wrote about 1830s Americans: “It cannot be doubted that, in the United States, the instruction of the people powerfully contributes to the support of a democratic republic.” Our country has benefited from good public education since the first such schools were created.
On behalf of the Haldane school district and the Board of Education, thank you to everyone who participated in the Nov. 19 vote on the capital project bond referendum. We are especially grateful to those who took time to learn more about the project, ask questions, provide input or attend one of our tours or meetings.
This referendum emerged from a yearslong effort involving many dedicated individuals. We want to acknowledge the invaluable contributions of the 22-member Campus Master Planning Committee, as well as the many community members, teachers, staff and students who provided input throughout the planning process. We are particularly grateful to the Haldane PTA for doing a fantastic job communicating how the project will enable us to meet the needs of our students.
A special thanks goes to former Superintendent Phil Benante, whose vision and leadership laid the foundation for the project during the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years. We also thank the Philipstown Town Board, Nelsonville Village Board, Cold Spring Village Board and Chamber of Commerce for the opportunities to present and discuss the project during their public meetings.
Leading up to the vote, the district was committed to transparency and sharing information with as many people as possible. As we move into the design development phase of the capital project and initiate our search for Haldane’s long-term superintendent, we remain dedicated to keeping you informed. As always, our twice-monthly board meetings include opportunities for public comment, or you may email us at [email protected].
Albano is the district’s interim superintendent. The letter also was signed by Peggy Clements, the school board president.