Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Boces Ima topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board approves IMA to let districts finance Jennese Valley BOCES project; Caledonia‑Mumford share $1.72M
Summary
The Caledonia‑Mumford Central School District board unanimously approved an intermunicipal agreement allowing component districts flexibility in financing their share of a proposed Jennese Valley BOCES capital project. The district’s preliminary share is listed as $1,721,173 of a $42,885,649.39 project.
The Caledonia‑Mumford Central School District Board of Education voted unanimously on March 10 to enter an intermunicipal agreement (IMA) that would let component districts choose how to finance their shares of a proposed Jennese Valley BOCES capital improvement project. The resolution, moved and seconded during new business, passed by voice vote 6‑0.
Superintendent Dr. Chanel told the board the IMA does not approve the BOCES capital project itself; instead, it only gives districts autonomy over how they would fund their portion if the BOCES project is approved by voters. “When you vote on the IMA, really all you’re voting on is the ability for all 22 school districts to fund their portion of the capital project should that capital project vote go up,” Dr. Chanel said during her report.
The resolution presented the district’s share of the total projected cost as $1,721,173 out of a $42,885,649.39 capital improvement project. Board members asked for more detail about which portions of the BOCES project will be aidable and whether pending negotiations over a building in Leroy could affect the BOCES timeline; Dr. Chanel said some project components may not generate building aid and that negotiations about the Leroy building remain unsettled.
Board members also discussed whether Caledonia‑Mumford should serve as a polling place for the separate public vote on the BOCES capital project. Dr. Chanel said the district can choose to be a polling site but cautioned that holding votes too close together could confuse the community; BOCES has not set a vote date but is leaning toward early June, she said.
Votes at a glance: • IMA resolution to permit district financing options for the Jennese Valley BOCES capital project: approved by voice vote, 6‑0.
What the vote means: The IMA gives the district flexibility to pay its eventual share through cash, short‑term borrowing, long‑term borrowing or a mix of methods if the BOCES capital project is later approved by voters. Dr. Chanel emphasized that if a district declines the IMA, BOCES would have to pursue alternate state financing that could raise long‑term costs across districts.
Next steps: The BOCES governing body must still put the capital project to a public vote; if that vote succeeds, each participating district would determine how to fund its share under the terms of the IMA. Board members asked administration to continue pressing for clear aidability numbers and for updates about the Leroy building negotiations before community outreach and voter materials are produced.
