Pelham superintendent outlines $140 million bond package, budget and office purchase ahead of May 20 vote

Superintendent Cheryl Champ told a small public meeting that the Pelham Union Free School District will present seven items on the May 20 ballot including the annual budget, a proposed purchase of a house at 29 Franklin Place for district offices, four separate bond propositions split to give voters more choice, and three uncontested board seats.

Champ said the district's total appropriations for the coming year are $96,290,000, a $2.7 million (2.9 percent) increase from the prior year. She said personnel costs make up roughly 76 percent of the budget and the district has built a 2 percent contingency into the proposal. The proposed tax levy increase is 3.48 percent and Champ described the proposal as tax-cap compliant.

Champ said the proposed capital request was split into four propositions because the board recognized the overall ask — described during the presentation as about $140 million in projects — was large and wanted to give voters “more say” by allowing them to approve parts individually. She emphasized that Proposition 1, the core infrastructure package, must pass for any of the other propositions to move forward.

Champ said the district's facilities review identified a number of aging systems and building needs across campuses: 30-year-old boilers approaching end-of-life, water intrusion and masonry issues, leaking roofs and windows. She cited a recent shutdown of the middle school for a day after an HVAC/roof-related leak and said many major projects require about two years of lead time for design and approvals.

On the ballot and key cost items: Champ described the five ballot categories voters will see on May 20 as (1) the school budget, (2) the purchase of a house at 29 Franklin Place, (3–6) the four bond propositions split by project type, and (7) the school board election. She said the house purchase request is for a $1,450,000 purchase price plus up to $400,000 for renovations and state-required work to secure a certificate of occupancy for offices, and that the district intends to use undesignated fund balance for that acquisition rather than borrow from voters.

Champ outlined the four…