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Watertown school leaders outline $110 million capital project, say state aid and reserves will prevent tax increase
Summary
District architects and finance advisers presented a $110 million, multi‑phase capital project at a public hearing, outlining building repairs, secure entries, mechanical upgrades and a financing plan that relies on state building aid, a capital reserve and expiring debt; no formal vote on the project was taken at the meeting.
Watertown City School District officials on Thursday held a public hearing outlining a proposed $110,000,000 capital project that would repair building envelopes, replace aging boilers and HVAC systems, upgrade fire alarms and secure entrances, and make site and ADA improvements across the district. Architect Jason Benedict and fiscal adviser Ben Maslona presented the scope and finance plan to the Board of Education and members of the public.
The district described the work as districtwide “warm, safe, dry” repairs: roof and masonry work, window and door replacement, conversion of old steam systems to hot water, building management controls, secure vestibules at several schools, and site improvements including parking, drainage and lighting. Projected building‑specific priorities were shown for Watertown High School, CASE, HT Wiley, North, Ohio, Starbuck, Knickerbocker, Sherman and the non‑student‑occupied Massey building.
District consultants emphasized the project was sized and timed to maximize New York State building aid and to use a voter‑approved capital reserve plus expiring debt so the district expects no tax increase. Ben Maslona said the district qualifies for a 93% building aid ratio for aidable work; the plan also uses an established capital reserve and times new borrowing to coincide with older debt lapsing. Maslona noted the voter proposition will include legally required language allowing a levy “if necessary,” but said the financial plan as presented would not require a tax increase.
The presentation covered technical limits the state sets on “maximum cost allowances” for aidable work at each instructional building; as an example, the consultants said the maximum allowance for reconstructing the high school is about $44,000,000 and rebuilding the school from scratch would be far more expensive than repairing it under current state rules. The consultants said the total identified work across the district initially totaled about $200 million, and the $110 million package reflects prioritization of high‑priority, aidable items.
On timing, consultants said the program must be staged to fit state rules and cost allowances. If voters approve the proposition, design and state review would follow; the team estimated a possible start of construction for phase 1 in summer 2026 and suggested full build‑out could take several phases over “6 to 7 years” depending on phasing and aidable thresholds.
District staff and the consultants said additional design work and stakeholder engagement would follow a successful referendum: traffic study results will be used to refine campus circulation and drop‑off plans; modular design decisions and hazardous‑material abatement will be addressed in the design and bidding phases; and the district will return to stakeholders with more detailed plans once SED review and final phasing are established.
No vote on the capital proposition was taken at the hearing. Board members and the public asked questions about timelines, ventilation and air movement, plans for bicycle and pedestrian circulation, and how un‑aidable sites such as the non‑student Massey building would be handled. Consultants said they will pursue other funding sources for work that does not generate state aid and that items not covered by aid could be paid from reserves if necessary.
The district said the public vote on the proposition will be held during the district’s Music in Our Schools event on March 25.
