The Ossining Union Free School District presented a multi‑year capital plan and bond schedule to the Board on Wednesday, outlining five overlapping construction phases and preparatory work that must be completed before the district can start major building work.

Consultants from CPL and ARIS described a plan that includes completed work at Park Elementary, a planned six‑classroom addition at Brookside, driveway and site work and air‑conditioning upgrades at the AMD campus, and multi‑phase high school renovations that begin with a two‑story addition over the locker rooms. Dave Hunsberger of CPL said the district is preparing a "preliminary submission" for the State Education Department in mid‑March that will collect program data, instructional space inventories and supporting documents the state needs to estimate building aid.

Why it matters: the district’s bond program will rely on building‑aid reimbursement and multiple state approvals; delays at the State Education Department (SED) or in State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) reviews will push bid and construction schedules and could increase costs.

Key points: Park Elementary’s second‑story addition is at substantial completion, and the district plans to put the Brookside classroom addition to bid early in February. The AMD campus work will include a new access driveway connecting to Stormytown Road, additional parking (consultants said roughly 104 new spaces tied to the project), and phased air‑conditioning upgrades for classroom instructional spaces. Chris Hanover of ARIS Contracting said the access road is scheduled to go out to bid in September; construction of the access road would begin in November with turnover targeted in September 2026. Air‑conditioning procurement has long lead times and the classroom HVAC work as planned would be constructed across 2025–26.

The consultants stressed the permitting and review process: the driveway, AMD site work and portions of the bond submissions require approvals from SED, SHPO, the Army Corps of Engineers and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). The church and rectory site that will be repurposed as part of the high school expansion must clear SHPO review and hazardous‑material abatement steps (consultants noted underground oil tanks and asbestos in the rectory), and that clearance must happen before the building can be demolished or altered.

Phasing and schedule: the bond program is divided into five phases; consultants said phases will overlap because many pre‑construction steps (surveying, geotechnical borings, structural analysis, SHPO coordination and fiscal reviews) take months. The district’s timeline shows heavy construction peaks around 2027–2029; consultants warned that SED fiscal review remains a bottleneck that can extend approval lead times.

Community impacts and mitigation: consultants said the driveway and added parking are intended to reduce on‑street congestion on Van Cortlandt and provide a staging area for construction traffic; the plan includes gates to prevent through‑traffic and stormwater mitigation systems to contain on‑site runoff. Board members asked about construction staging, bus routing, and how the driveway will be gated when school is not in session.

Next steps: consultants plan a preliminary submission to SED in mid‑March; site‑specific submissions and final design packages will follow. The board also discussed advocacy options: several trustees suggested contacting state representatives to request additional SED review resources if the state timelines threaten the district’s construction schedule.

Ending: the district and consultants said they will continue monthly updates to the board and the public as they complete survey and pre‑design work and prepare SED submissions. Board members and consultants emphasized the need to get the preliminary package right before submission so the SED fiscal review goes smoothly and reduces the risk of rework or delay.