Board delays $125 million bond referendum; committee highlights drainage, HVAC and aging buildings

The Three Village Central School District committee recommended roughly $125 million in capital projects to address aging buildings, roofs, drainage and indoor-environment upgrades, but the board agreed to delay a referendum until the fall to allow time for planning and community outreach.

"We went over all this stuff with the bond committee...they unanimously recommended...about a $125,000,000 to recommend to the board to go out for a bond referendum," Dr. Scanlon said during the meeting. The board discussed timing and decided not to pursue a March referendum date that administrators said would have been possible under legal-notice deadlines.

Administrators told the board that most district buildings are decades old — the presenter said the newest is over 50 years old and some buildings exceed 70 years — and that replacement and repair costs are rising. The district's architect provided preliminary cost estimates; administrators emphasized that formal plans and specifications cannot be drawn or submitted for state review until voters approve a bond, though architects and engineers assisted the committee with preliminary costings.

The committee's project list reportedly would include building envelopes (masonry, windows), drainage and stormwater work, HVAC and air-quality upgrades, and targeted interior work such as cafeteria and gym air conditioning at elementary and junior-high schools. The presenter noted a separate proposition to turf the high-school football field and said the bond was likely to be split into multiple propositions so voters could consider components separately.

Climate- and storm-related concerns were a prominent part of the discussion. Multiple speakers described repeated flooding episodes in some district buildings and told the board that certain sites sit in low hollows or close to ponds; administrators said some buildings had water in basements and sub-basements during recent intense storms and that the design of storm drains was not intended to handle extreme events (one rain event cited at more than 10 inches in 24 hours). The committee considered site-level mitigation such as improved drainage alignments and rock-wall diversion features to reduce concentrated flow toward buildings.

Administrators also raised indoor-temperature and testing impacts. The presenter cited recent state action that sets an 88-degree indoor-evacuation threshold, and said the bond's second proposition would focus on air conditioning for cafeterias and gymnasiums used for large gatherings and statewide testing.

On facilities use and space, the board discussed portables and specialized programs. Administrators said they want to return some programs (SAC programs) to building space and reduce reliance on portables; they described efforts to rent surplus space to external partners such as BOCES and to explore other revenue options. The presenter said BOCES previously offered about $60,000 for five rooms and administrators planned to reopen those discussions given district revenue pressures.

The board agreed to delay the referendum to give the district more time to prepare plans, refine costs and expand community outreach; administrators said, if approved, construction work would likely occur in the 2027-28 time frame because of the time needed to prepare plans, submit them to the State Education Department and obtain approvals. The district will revisit timing and the bond package at a future meeting, with additional public information and a planned fall referendum under consideration.

Ending: No formal vote on a bond referendum was taken at the meeting; the board directed staff to continue planning with the bond committee and to return with refined proposals and outreach plans.