Onteora board places two capital propositions on ballot and outlines Bennett Elementary plan for 2028

A presenter for the Onteora Central School District said the district board passed a unanimous "central campus" resolution and approved two separate capital-improvement propositions that will appear on the ballot. The board described a campus plan that involves Bennett Elementary School and a timetable targeting 2028.

The board placed two propositions before voters: Proposition 1 addresses Bennett Elementary's grade configuration and building updates, while Proposition 2 covers infrastructure upgrades across the Boyseville campus. "If Proposition 1 passes, this building will be updated and will gain the capacity to stay a K through 5 school, which is the clear preference of our board and the administration," the presenter said. "If Proposition 1 fails, then Bennett will become a K–4 and our fifth graders will move next door to the middle school." The presenter added that staff need time to plan for either path.

Why it matters: the outcome will determine where fifth-graders attend and how Bennett is staffed and renovated. The presenter told listeners that the propositions are independent — voters can vote yes or no on each — and stressed that, whether Proposition 1 passes or fails, the district expects all students to be located on the campus in 2028.

Board action and next steps: the presenter said the board passed the central campus resolution unanimously and authorized the two capital propositions; the transcript does not give vote tallies or the names of individual board members. Voters are referred to the district website to read the full text of the resolution and learn more about the revised plan.

The district did not provide a timetable for construction work or a funding breakdown in the recorded announcement; those details and the final disposition of projects depend on the outcome of the ballot measures and subsequent planning steps.