Board hears $43.6M capital project update; administrators split plan into two propositions after public pushback

The Sodus Central School District’s business administrator, identified in the meeting as Steve, updated the board on a proposed capital project and described a newly revised structure that separates the work into two propositions.

Steve said the December proposal had been estimated at about $43,600,000 and that the revised approach moves much of the core building work into Proposition 1 (about $39.4 million) while making Proposition 2 — which includes athletic-field drainage, a turf athletic field and resurfacing tennis courts — contingent upon Proposition 1 passing.

"On the December 11 vote, we were gonna use some money from debt service and cash contribution from reserves and the total project cost was about 43,600,000 with no impact on our local tax base," Steve told the board, then explained changes made after a community meeting and an EV-bus infrastructure study.

Steve said alterations such as milling rather than fully reconstructing the bus parking lot would save roughly $1.35 million, and that recent engineering work reduced the excavation originally planned for EV-bus conduit. He presented Proposition 2 costs that the board had discussed: roughly $1.5 million for baseball/softball drainage and about $7.5 million for a turf field, and added a $90,000 estimate for tennis-court resurfacing.

A public commenter, Rob, sharply criticized the project's escalation and contingency calculations.

"The projected inflation rate for 2026 is 2.8%... The capital project used number used for a 3 and a half year period looks to be 40% instead of 11.7%... That's why we are where we are with taxes," Rob said, calling the plan "so far out of line" and labeling the larger contingencies a potential "money grab."

Steve responded that the district must consider state building aid rules and reserves when structuring the funding plan, and that Proposition 2 cannot be implemented independently because aidability and phasing depend on Proposition 1 passing.

The board directed Steve to have the district’s financial advisor prepare updated cost and aidability numbers and said a vote could be scheduled in the spring or early summer once those figures are available. Steve said the district could aim for an April or May board timeline for final figures and that once the board calls for a vote, the usual notification clock (45 days) will begin.

No vote on the capital propositions occurred at the meeting; the item will return with detailed financial analysis.

Meeting materials presented by Steve listed key project components — DOAS rooftop units, LED lighting, unit ventilator replacements, improved classroom access, bus-lot milling, athletic-field work and roof/site repairs — and noted past projects and the district’s plan to access state building aid if the propositions pass.