Pelham UFSD outlines $96.29M budget, multi-part bond package and property purchase ahead of May 20 vote

Cheryl Champ, superintendent of the Pelham Union Free School District, presented details of the district's proposed $96,290,000 spending plan, a separate property-purchase proposition and a four-part capital bond package at a community meeting ahead of a May 20 ballot.

Champ said the spending plan, the house-purchase proposition and four bond propositions will appear on the same ballot and that the district is encouraging residents to review materials and vote. "We need to keep the lights on, the heat on, and the water out," she said of the core infrastructure work in the bond package.

The budget proposal and bond package matter for taxpayers because they affect the district's tax levy and capital borrowing. Champ said the district can pursue some borrowing on a "tax-neutral" basis because two prior debt tranches drop off over the next few years, producing roughly $65 million in tax-neutral borrowing capacity; she also said recent building projects have produced a roughly $3 million balance in the district's debt service reserve that helps lower near-term levy changes.

Key points of the proposed operating budget

- Total proposed appropriations: $96,290,000. - Primary cost drivers: salaries and benefits, which Champ said represent about 76% of the budget. - Staffing: the district projects a net reduction of about 4.61 full-time equivalent positions through attrition; Champ said 13 teachers plan to retire this year. - Tax levy: the board adopted a proposed allowable tax levy increase of 3.48% to present to voters; the operating levy portion is the part subject to the state tax-cap calculation, while certain capital items are treated as capital exclusions, Champ said. - Other program notes: the district plans to add an AP course title to the high school catalog and to add limited special-education staffing; it will hire a part-time clerical employee to accelerate conversion to fully electronic student registration.

House purchase and funding source

Champ described a separate ballot proposition to purchase a two-story house at the corner of Nyack and Franklin (presented on the meeting materials as 29 Franklin) adjacent to the secondary campus. The district is under contract at a purchase price of $1,450,000 with up to $400,000 proposed for renovations to obtain a New York State Education Department certificate of occupancy for office use. "That is a straight cash purchase by the District out of undesignated fund balance," Champ said, adding the purchase would not be financed through the bond and thus would not raise taxes. The district currently leases office space and expects returning district staff to district-owned property would free roughly $175,000 now used for leasing.

The bond package: four propositions, one gateway

The capital program is split into four propositions. Champ and the board framed the first proposition as the gateway: other propositions may only take effect if Proposition 1 passes.

- Proposition 1 (gateway): District infrastructure and building-envelope work at the older schools (roof replacement, windows, masonry, waterproofing and heating systems) plus selective air-conditioning at Colonial and Prospect Hill. Champ provided an estimated amount of about $56,200,000 for this work and said the work would be staged over three to five years.

- Proposition 2 (Siwonoy): Renovation and modest expansion at Siwonoy to add ADA upgrades (including two elevators), a new cafeteria in repurposed space beneath the gym, and an expansion to replace classrooms lost to the elevators and provide flex space. Champ said that proposition is about $42,600,000 and would include site adjustments and temporary relocations during construction.

- Proposition 3 (high school/middle school): A three-story expansion adjacent to Ingalls Field to create a dedicated high-school student center/cafeteria on the ground floor and two floors of modernized science labs above, plus renovations elsewhere in the secondary complex. Champ said the expansion would relieve overcrowding and update old science facilities; the presentation noted the secondary expansions can be financed over longer terms (20 years) than some renovations, which affects annual tax estimates.

- Proposition 4 (geothermal): A district proposal to install geothermal ground-source systems at Prospect Hill and Siwonoy only, at an estimated incremental upfront cost of $4,500,000. Champ said geothermal would require balanced heating-and-cooling systems and therefore was not proposed for the high school or Colonial in this package, and that federal/state tax incentives and grants could reduce the upfront local cost. She cautioned the district could not provide detailed energy-savings modeling now because the vote is based on conceptual designs limited to 2% of design work.

Tax, state aid and timing

Champ said the district expects to seek borrowing that could be largely tax-neutral because of debt drop-offs and projected state building aid. "We generally get about 49% of state building aid," she said, while noting that state and federal funding levels can shift and that the district is watching those uncertainties. She also explained that even if voters approve the projects, substantial design, state approval and bidding work must occur before construction starts; Champ estimated construction would not begin until about June 2027, giving the district some time to respond to changes in state aid or incentives.

Examples of homeowner impact presented

Champ presented illustrative annual tax impacts for an assessed-value home at the district's median assessment (shared in the meeting materials). She described multiple scenarios (only Proposition 1; Proposition 1 + 2; Proposition 1 + 3; all propositions) and explained how $65 million of tax-neutral borrowing and the allocation of $9 million of tax-neutral capacity among propositions affects the reported incremental annual costs.

Capacity, enrollment and other operational details

Champ said the district has enrollment pressure at several elementary schools and that project designs seek to provide classroom flexibility without overbuilding; she described temporary relocations of playground equipment and measures to minimize playground loss during Siwonoy work. She said a small number of students zoned for one school currently attend another building because of space constraints and that the district uses attrition and scheduling efficiencies to manage staffing.

Next steps

The propositions and the budget will be decided by voters on May 20; the district is offering absentee and early-voting options, and it will continue community engagement, including additional information sessions and a board coffee. Champ said the district plans exit polling and stakeholder feedback if any proposition fails so leaders can decide whether to return to voters in the fall.