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Board presented $2.6 million Sapphire Elementary roof project; district plans to use Excel Aid and reserves, says no immediate tax impact
Summary
Business office staff recommended Proposition 2 to replace the Sapphire Elementary roof, estimated at $2.6 million, funded with $549,000 in NYS Excel Aid and roughly $2 million from the district capital reserve; administrators said the project would not raise taxes and that building aid will reimburse the reserve over about 15 years.
Mister Cahill, a district business official, presented Proposition 2 to the Monroe-Woodbury Central School District Board of Education on April 8: an estimated $2.6 million capital project to replace the roof at Sapphire Elementary School.
Cahill said the roof has passed its useful life, winter patching has not solved repeated leaks, and that recent building-condition surveys show the replacement cannot be delayed. "It is a need to have, not a nice to have at this point," Cahill said. Because of state approval and procurement lead times the earliest construction is likely in 2027.
Funding proposed for the project is a mix of $549,000 in New York State Excel Aid (a one-time capital funding program) and a draw of a little over $2,000,000 from the district's capital reserve, which Cahill said currently has about $4,000,000 unencumbered. Cahill explained that although the district will use reserve funds now there is an expectation of building-aid reimbursement over the next 15 years that will restore the reserve in part. He described the financing as having an "almost like a reimbursement" effect through the building-aid program and called it a double-dip opportunity because Excel Aid can also receive building aid.
Cahill estimated the project cost at $2,600,000 and said the district intends to avoid a tax impact this year by using reserve and Excel funds. The board did not take a final vote on the capital authorization at this meeting; administrators described the project as time-sensitive and urged public engagement for the upcoming budget calendar.
What happens next: Proposition 2 will appear as part of the district's public budget process leading up to the May 19 vote; the district expects to draw on Excel Aid and the capital reserve and to pursue building-aid reimbursement following state procedures.
(Reporting note: project timeline is subject to New York State Education Department approval and contractor lead times.)
