Port Jervis board presses to accelerate construction while building aid is high; solar project and security upgrades discussed

The Port Jervis City School District Board of Education on Dec. 11 heard administrators urge moving quickly on building projects while the district's state building-aid ratio remains unusually high, and received updates on a proposed 7-acre solar field and multiple school security changes.

Superintendent Dr. John Bell told the board the district's state building-aid ratio has climbed in recent years and is currently near 92.9 percent, a level he called a rare opportunity to seek state funding for construction rather than relying on local taxpayers. "We need to build while the getting is good," Bell said, adding district financial staff expect that ratio to fall to about 90.6 percent next year because property values in the region rose after COVID.

The estimate means the state would pay a slightly smaller share of future project costs if the district delays, Bell said. He reviewed past construction phases and figures the district has used in planning, including phase 3 at about $12.3 million and a $26 million figure the administration said was approved in the previous night's actions for phase 4. Board members and administrators framed acceleration as a budgetary choice: borrow less later or complete more work now to capture state aid while the ratio is high.

Assistant Superintendent for Business John Timm noted the 2025-26 budget season is approaching and that foundation aid and other state figures that drive the district's revenue picture will be released in January.

The board also heard an update on a proposed solar installation on district-owned property in Deer Park. Bell said the district is working with contractors and utility providers to develop a roughly 7-acre solar field on the Vicarage property; if approved and interconnected by the utility, the array could eliminate the district's electricity bills, which Bell estimated at "a couple $100,000 a year." He cautioned that the plan must clear multiple approvals and that Con Edison capacity and interconnection rules are a major variable. "There's a lot involved with approvals," Bell said.

Administrators reviewed several safety and security initiatives being piloted or installed across district buildings. The district's safety committee reported progress on door-swipe systems, armored glass shields, exterior strobe lights and message boards to improve lockdown visibility for visitors and first responders. The committee is considering a 20-to-30-second delay before automatic deactivation of employee badge credentials in a lockdown, to avoid trapping staff who are moving students between rooms.

Committee members also described plans to introduce walk-through metal detectors in public settings first (such as athletic events) so the community can see how they work before routine school use. The plan includes staged rollouts and practice runs at events with smaller crowds; committee members said staffing needs are significant and protocols for bag checks and handling alarms were developed to avoid public embarrassment for students.

Tanya Udurier, assistant superintendent for Pupil Personnel Services, described a district initiative tied to Medicaid billing that will allow school social workers and speech pathologists to bill Medicaid for services provided to eligible students. She also said the district's health and wellness work is active, with assemblies and staff fitness opportunities ongoing.

The board received a status update on the mascot-team-name review process. Bell said the district received more than 400 public suggestions and will narrow that list to fewer than 10 finalists before students vote in January. He said staff will prepare a short video and present finalists when students return after the winter break.

On student concussion policy, administrators described a "return-to-learn" protocol under development with the goal that the large portion of students return to classroom learning within 48 hours after a concussion, with appropriate academic adjustments and supports. The protocol is being developed with input from medical staff, building administrators, teachers and families.

Board members asked for follow-ups on timelines and costs for the solar and construction projects and sought clarity on the plan for staffing and logistics during any metal-detector pilot. Bell and Timm said more detailed proposals will be brought to the board after the holidays.

Provenance: Remarks and figures above were discussed in superintendent and committee reports beginning with Dr. John Bell's building-aid overview and continuing through the safety-committee discussion and the solar-field update.