Kingston City School District

CAPITAL PROJECT

VOTE May 16, 2023

Official results show that voters approved the capital project proposition for Kingston City School District! The official results are 2226 in favor and 1008 opposed.

These numbers are according to votes submitted at the polls on Tuesday, May 16 and absentee ballots received by the District Clerk.

The budget vote also passed 2,283 to 971. For details about that and the Board of Education elections, check the district's webpage.

The District thanks all community members for taking the time to learn, vote and ultimately make their voices heard. We look forward to continuing to pave the path for our students and their success!

The buildings and grounds of the Kingston City School District (KCSD) are valuable community assets. Ongoing maintenance helps keep them operating on a daily basis, and periodic capital investments keep them sustainable for long-term use.

A virtual forum was held on Wednesday, April 26 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. to offer community members the convenience of joining from any location for any amount of time. Experts discussed the proposed capital improvements for Kingston City School District and answered questions throughout the evening.

Featured panelists included:

Dr. Paul J. Padalino, Superintendent of Schools
Sharifa Carbon, Assistant Superintendent for Business
Armand Quadrini, AIA, LEED AP, Managing Principal for KSQ Design

They answered questions about air conditioning, theater renovations, fiscal strategy and more. Watch the recording from the District's YouTube channel.

On Tuesday, May 16, the ballot for the annual school budget will include a second proposition for $162.5 million to address all of the deficiencies in each building, as identified by our architects, in order to provide equity of resources throughout the community and leverage the financial savings associated with a large-scale effort.

This website will provide the most up-to-date information, and the KCSD Facebook page will offer reminders. A community-wide newsletter will be mailed in early May to ensure that each and every eligible voter is aware of the capital project proposition.

Kingston City School District wants all community members to learn about this important proposition and offers these opportunities:

Saturday, April 15 from 10 a.m. to noon – Coffee and Conversation at The Mount Academy (1001 Broadway in Esopus)
Monday, April 17 at 6 p.m. virtually via Teams – Town Hall Budget Forum/Building Presentation
Tuesday, April 18 at 7 p.m. – Board of Education Meeting in the Board Room at Meagher Administrative Building, 21 Wynkoop Place in Kingston)
Wednesday, April 26 at 7 p.m. – A community-wide virtual forum will be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Use this link to join that webinar. A recording of the event will be available on this website and the District's YouTube channel.
Wednesday, May 3 at 6 p.m. – Budget Hearing in the Board Room at Meagher Administrative Building, 21 Wynkoop Place in Kingston)
Saturday, May 6 from 10 a.m. to noon – Coffee and Conversation at George Washington Elementary School (67 Wall Street in Kingston). At noon, participants will be able to see some of the areas in that school where improvements are proposed.

Capital improvements would protect the community’s past investments in our buildings.

The District has completed many capital projects in the past 10 years, with a record of being on time and under budget. The recently completed renovation at Kingston High School is a great example with a final cost about $10 million under the original budget.

The May 16 ballot for the annual school budget will include a second proposition requesting voter approval on a capital project to invest in addressing:

Improving indoor air quality through ventilation and air conditioning
Replacing windows, roofing and other areas to preserve our buildings
Upgrading restrooms, most of which are original to the building
Continuing the District’s mission to improve barrier-free access
Solving parking/traffic flow issues and addressing paving/sidewalks
Renovating outdated auditoriums and elementary school stages
And other projects across almost every building in the Kingston City School District

These improvements would impact the 6,400 students and more than 1,250 staff members who work hard in our schools every day. They would also protect the entire community’s past investments in our buildings and position KCSD for a future of continued academic success and fiscal responsibility.

The funding strategy includes approximately 76.7% State Building Aid and $10 million in Capital Reserve.

KCSD’s reputation for responsible fiscal planning extends to this proposition with a four-part funding strategy:

State Aid: New York State Building Aid would pay approximately 76.7% of the total aidable costs of the $162.5 million project. This reimbursement by New York State would redirect our state tax dollars back to the local community.
Capital Reserve: Savings from past years accumulated in a voter-approved Capital Reserve will contribute $10 million to offset costs by reducing the amount the expenditures that will be paid for with long-term debt.
Debt Payoff: The District is nearing the final payoff for debt over the next five years from some previous capital project. That will help to reduce the tax impact over time as older debt payments drop off and others begin for the new capital project.
Local Tax Impact: An anticipated tax increase of about $9 per month is projected for a home assessed at $200,000, projected to begin in the 2025-2026 school year.

Research for significant improvements at most schools started in 2020.

2020 – KCSD completed its five-year Building Condition Survey, as required by state law, which identified the most critical building needs.

2022 – A 30-member Facilities Committee – a Board of Education subcommittee that also includes teachers, maintenance staff, administrators, and the District's professional advisers – worked to determine which projects were priorities for a capital project that could coincide with the payoff of a past investment.

The Board ultimately adopted a plan to address all the deficiencies in each building that were identified by our architects in order to provide equity of resources throughout the community and leverage the financial savings associated with a large-scale effort.

May 16, 2023 – Voters will have a say at the polls when all KCSD communities consider this reinvestment plan. The tax increase is projected to start in the 2025-2026 school year, strategically planned to begin after the payoff of a previous voter-approved investment and reduce the impact on local taxes.

See the Projects page to understand what is proposed and why.
See the Voter Info page to learn how to cast your ballot.

2023 – 2028 – Only with voter approval could KCSD move forward with the detailed plans and contract bids that would put improvement ideas into action. Once approved, a significant amount of the construction work would begin as soon as 2024. Making these renovations at nine schools is projected to take four to five years to complete.

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