BKW administration revising capital project

With the wallets of local taxpayers in mind, the Berne-Knox-Westerlo School District will briefly delay plans to bring a proposed renovation of the Middle/High School to public referendum, in order to further streamline the project’s costs.

The district has learned that final estimates from the state place the district’s share of the total expense significantly higher than previously projected.

"The State Education Department informed us that we needed to use a different formula to calculate the amount of state aid we could receive for the project," says Superintendent Steven Schrade. "That affected the share of the cost the district would have to pay, to the point where we felt we needed to re-work this project to reduce its cost to district taxpayers ."

Schrade explained that the state classifies the district’s Middle/High School as a K-12 building since it houses the 6th grade. The district’s cost calculations were based on the state aid formula for grades 7-12 buildings.

This past December, the Facilities Planning Committee presented to the Board of Education their preferred capital project plan, which carried a total cost of about $13.8 million.

The project aims to provide full accessibility throughout the building to people with disabilities, while expanding and updating presently cramped spaces, such as the library and cafeteria.

For this project, the district estimated the taxpayers’ share of the total at about $2.3 million once Excel Aid and the district’s capital reserve fund were deducted.

But the new calculations from the state estimate the district’s share of the cost at about $4.9 million.

"That’s simply too high a burden to place on our community, even though these renovations are greatly needed," Schrade said. "We’re putting plans to go to a public referendum on hold because we know we can do better -- we want to present a more cost-effective project that still meets needs we must address in the Middle/High School."

For more information on the Facilities Planning Committee, history and latest news on the capital project proposal, go to: www.bkwschools.org and click on "Facilities Planning Updates.