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Rye Fund for Education and parent groups fund sound and lighting to complete PAC renovations; board accepts $432,013.19 gift
Summary
The board accepted a $432,013.19 gift from the Rye Fund for Education and acknowledged parent-organization contributions that, together with bond funds, will finance sound and lighting upgrades, ADA regrading and other improvements to the high-school/middle-school performing arts center.
Diana Page, trustee with the Rye Fund for Education (RFE), briefed the board during the March 11 meeting on fundraising tied to the performing arts center (PAC) upgrades at Rye High School and Rye Middle School.
Page said the district's capital bond funds will cover about $1.8 million in construction upgrades (new seating, stage curtains, window blinds, chandeliers and ADA regrading) but left gaps for audio-visual systems. She said an upgraded sound system was estimated at about $143,000 and a new lighting system at about $183,000; district staff identified $100,000 from their budget and a remaining shortfall existed for the technical systems. Page said the high-school and middle-school parent organizations committed $43,000 to fully fund the sound upgrades, and the Rye Fund for Education pledged $183,000 to fund the lighting system.
Board members accepted a district gift of $432,013.19 (consent agenda, approved 7'0to'0) to support arts and academics across the district. Page noted that RFE's giving exceeded $1 million over the last two years and highlighted other recent grants: STEM mad-science workshops, IB professional training, digital-journalism equipment for the high-school newspaper club, and tower gardens that supply local food pantry donations.
Page told trustees the lighting system dates to the 1980s and vendors warned parts are increasingly difficult to source, making replacement timely; she said performing-arts upgrades provide student learning opportunities (stage crew and technical training) and improve community access. Board members thanked donors and noted the April 3 RFE gala (sold out, wait list available) as a fundraiser for future grants.
