Edgemont facilities are antiquated and often fail to meet the standard of excellence established and adhered to concerning teaching and learning in the district.  A bond issue originally approved by voters in 2021 was shelved due to the COVID pandemic, rising construction costs and changing needs due to updated enrollment projections. The current bond proposal outlines solutions designed to advance Edgemont’s academic excellence and ensure a 21st century educational experience. 

The proposition to be voted upon seeks a funding authorization of $62,071,470.  With voter-authorized funding, the District will finance the obligation through the issuance of strategically timed bonds resulting in annual debt service payments that will last approximately 15 years. These debt service payment obligations will be included in the annual budgets developed each year.  

The magnitude of the resulting debt service obligations is dependent on multiple factors, including the interest rate available at bond issuance and the term identified for repayment.

New York State provides building aid on approved and eligible projects to all public school districts in the state. The aid ratio (percent of the cost reimbursed by the state) differs for each school district. Edgemont's current aid ratio is 45.1%. At this aid ratio, the proposed project would be eligible for approximately $27 million dollars in state aid to reduce the impact on taxpayers. 

The school district has been and will continue repairing, maintaining, and replacing existing equipment with the operating budget. It’s a significant part of the operations plan. What is needed now includes a scope of work that is too large to absorb in any short period of time. In short, school districts' primary approach to funding large-scale capital improvements is through voter-authorized capital bond projects. This is the only way the proposed projects can be accomplished expeditiously. 

The impact on taxpayers is dependent upon several factors, none of which can be considered a certainty. To arrive at the following tax impact calculation, the District is utilizing the following assumptions: 

• 2.79-2.92% interest rate (current market for similarly positioned districts)

• Bonds secured in three separate offerings based on the project schedule

• 15-year probable term for each offering

• 45.1%  building aid ratio (the current aid ratio)

Based on these assumptions, for every $1 million in assessed value, we estimate an average net increase* of $520 in school taxes per year beginning in the 2025-2026 school tax year.

The first and last three years will be more variable due to debt issuance dates and timelines for state aid receivables. 

*  Net increase from existing debt service and capital outlay costs included in the 2024-2025 School Budget.  

In response to community feedback, the revised bond proposal does not include the construction of new public-access roads or parking lots. The Board of Education is committed to addressing the concerns that led to these previously proposed solutions, but will do so in at a later date and with new opportunities for community voice and discussion surrounding the issues. 

Public works projects, including air conditioning, are subject to several necessary steps amounting to more than 12 months before construction can begin and full implementation can be achieved, including: 

• architectural and engineering design; 

• electrical load analysis and electrical upgrade determinations with our local power supplier, Con Edison; 

• NYSED project review (current estimates call for 32 weeks for engineering review);

• competitive bidding;

• equipment procurement and fabrication (HVAC equipment has recently required long lead times); and

• construction integration within the school schedule

With voter authorization, the District will move as quickly as possible through the above steps to integrate air conditioning solutions district-wide. 

The conditions at EHS's Lower Field (current location of the baseball and softball diamonds) are sub-standard. The field suffers from excessive broad weed growth, poor drainage, and a lack of modern amenities for high school-level athletic play. The fields are overused to accommodate school and community use, resulting in limited opportunities for necessary recovery periods. Bans on the use of herbicides limit grounds crews from effectively and efficiently remediating weed growth and available staffing and resource allocation can't sustain the work necessary to bring the field to the standard of excellence we strive for.  In periods of inclement weather, drainage issues confound the high school athletic schedule. 

By installing an artificial surface, we aim to:

• achieve greater scheduling flexibility for high school athletics;

• extend the life of the existing artificial turf field (Blanford Field);

• provide greater access to high-quality fields for youth programming;

• establish a standard of excellence for our baseball and softball programs akin to what is provided for other sports utilizing Blanford Field and track;

• reduce weather-related impacts to schedules; 

• seek greater alignment with our District's academic prowess and standing regionally and nationally; 

• reduce maintenance costs; and

• provide opportunities to reallocate staff to assist in the many other necessary repair and maintenance projects district-wide.

The planned renovations at the Jr./Sr. High School will result in the loss of two existing classroom spaces due to renovations aimed at accommodating dedicated STEAM classrooms, additional cafeteria space, a newly designed art classroom, and additional office space for district-level staff. 

The EHS administration has identified a plan for room relocations which includes:

• moving the existing testing room to room D13;

• moving the current Art Room (Arts Building) to E5;

• moving the classrooms utilized for STEAM instruction (D13 and E5) to the renovated LGI; and

• moving classes historically held in the D-Annex (Arts Building) and Cafe-Annex (Cafeteria) classrooms to shared classrooms in the A-, D-, and E-Buildings.

The current classroom utilization rate has been reduced by 7% from the 2019-2020 school year, providing greater relief on the scheduling process than what was present at the onset of this bond endeavor. This is due to a 9% reduction in enrollment at the Jr./Sr. High School and a material change to the bell schedule.  Under the current classroom utilization, a loss of two classrooms would not impact the ability to schedule all instructional classes in appropriate spaces; however, additional considerations continue to be discussed to address opportunities to reallocate additional space through projects outside of the proposed bond.

Although the renovations will reduce two classroom spaces, the Jr./Sr. High School will gain four small-group instructional spaces in the library currently allocated as offices for the Pupil Personnel Services Department. 

Lastly, the demographic study commissioned by the District in the 2022-2023 school year projects an additional 7.8% decrease in enrollment at the Jr./Sr. High School over the next five years. If materialized, classroom utilization rates will most certainly decrease. 

Your vote is vital. Vote October 7, 2024 from 6 a.m. - 9 p.m. in the San Marco Gym at Edgemont Junior Senior High School.

Voters must be a United States citizen, a district resident for 30 days prior to the vote, at least 18 years old and registered to vote. If you are registered to vote in a general election, you are eligible to vote on school district matters. For more information, contact District Clerk Jennifer Masci at jmasci@edgemont.org or call (914) 472-7768, ext. 4403.

Contact the Westchester County Board of Elections, 25 Quarropas St., White Plains. Call (914) 995-5700 or visit citizenparticipation.westchestergov.com/register-to-vote. Residents can also register to vote on Monday, September 30, 2024, between 3 p.m. and  7 p.m. in the Edgemont School District office, 300 White Oak Lane, Scarsdale, NY.

Available on weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., beginning September 6, 2024, in the District Office. Completed applications must be received by the District Clerk at least seven days before the election if the ballot is to be delivered personally to the voter or their designated agent. All executed ballots must be received by the District Clerk no later than 5:00 p.m. on Monday, October 7, 2024.