Questions have come up from the public hearing and other sources regarding the building renovation proejct. We have tried to clarify some of those below:

• The state is discussing reductions or freezing state operational or "foundation" aid for 2009-10.

Building aid, which this proposal is relying upon, has long been a social contract between the state and schools as a way to keep schools safe and in good shape.

If the unprecedented were to occur, and building aid were eliminated or drastically reduced, that would cause a delay or reduction of the project. Local taxpayers would not be called upon to make up the difference.

• The Sacandaga Elementary School playground may - or may not - be moved because of the project. However, Athletic Director John Geniti prefers to leave the playground where it is now located and shift the bleachers or fields toward the tennis courts. Here is a flyer about the options involving the playground.

• The school district will seek grant funding and other non-tax ways to pay for the artificial turf, solar energy panels and other aspects of the project.

• Construction would not begin until at least the summer of 2010, when the economy will likely be more stable than today. It will take that long for the school district to design the project and receive state education department approval.

• In these difficult times, the school district understands that building aid and local tax dollars all come from the same people. This package makes use of several sources of funding to bring the tax impact down to a maximum of 1.9 percent.

If Scotia-Glenville does not take advantage of the available state funding, other school districts are in line to use it. It’s time that Scotia-Glenville taxpayers got their fair share from the state.

•The project has been in the works at least since 2005 and, by and large, completes work that was needed at the middle school and high school but was cut from the 1999 building project. The timing with the vote is difficult with the state of the ecomony; however, the project would not begin for two years - it takes that long to finalize designs and receive state Education Department approval.

• Regarding the artificial turf proposal, the 530 secondary athletes, as well as thousands of physical education students at the high school, middle school and Sacandga School, would use the field. The field is equivalent to replacing six grass fields and would save on annual maintenance costs. Boys and girls; soccer, field hockey, lacrosse, football and potential other sports would use the field.

• A field, bleachers and lights are not a “stadium.” Use of that word conjures up multi-million dollar complexes for the New York Yankees.

• The project would save on operating costs – the solar energy panels at Sacandaga Elementary are projected to save $10,000 to $12,000 per year and the artificial turf, because it would not require watering and striping, would save about $10,000 per year.

• The projected tax increase is 1.9 percent – spread over three years beginning in 2010. That works out to less than $60 per year and $5 per month for the typical homeowner with a $160,000 assessment. Fiscal Advisors from Syracuse built the financing package for the project. The Board of Education, trying to keep the local taxpayer costs down, used all resources available to present a responsible proposal.


The school district hopes that all Scotia-Glenville community members will vote, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., on Tuesday, Dec. 16 at the high school gymnasium.