Superintendent Mike Pero announced at his final Pittsford Central School District Board of Education meeting that he will retire after many years of service and outlined a proposed capital project the district plans to put before voters on March 5.

"A huge part of the project will involve new roofs," Pero said, and he added the work will also address steam boilers at Sutherland and Allen Creek and expand the district's long-term facilities plan to get cooling into schools over a nine-year period. Pero told the board the project is structured to avoid a tax increase, combining state aid, capital reserves and debt retirement.

The board was told that SCi (the district's facilities/planning consultant) will present a long-range facilities plan at the board's December 9 meeting and will detail the scope of work proposed for the March 5 vote. The superintendent emphasized HVAC and air quality improvements as priorities.

In his remarks to the board and community, Pero reflected on his tenure and thanked staff, board members and families. "The heart of any school district is its people," he said, and he thanked his colleagues, assistants and family. He also expressed confidence in the incoming superintendent, Shana Cataya.

No formal vote was taken on the capital project at the meeting; district staff will bring formal project documents and a long-range facilities plan to the December board meeting ahead of the public vote timeline.

Ending: The board accepted the superintendent's report and placed the capital project on the timeline for further study and presentation in December; no tax increase was reported at this briefing, and the district framed the March vote as funded through a mix of state aid, reserves and expiring debt.