Lisbon Central School eyes $16 million capital project focused on transportation facilities
Feb. 1—LISBON — Lisbon Central School will be holding a public vote next month on a $16 million capital improvement project that if approved would build a transportation maintenance facility and bus garage as well as authorize other infrastructure updates to its school building.
The $16,174,000 capital project vote will take place on March 14.
The main focus of the capital improvement project focuses on the construction of a transportation maintenance facility and indoor bus storage on district property. The building would be approximately 16,200 square feet, according to information provided by the district.
"This project is about student safety and protecting the district's investments, while working to minimize the impact on taxpayers," Superintendent Patrick J. Farrand said in a statement. "We want to make sure students are getting to school safely, and to do so we must be able to maintain and take care of our school buses."
The school district acquired its own fleet of 13 buses during the 2020-2021 school year as a way to reduce costs. It had previously contracted with a private entity for busing services. Mr. Farrand said bus maintenance is currently performed by Heuvelton Central School District using a shared bus mechanic and Montroy's Garage. However, either of those arrangements could cease to work for the district at any time.
"We have to have a plan. We have to be able to take care of our own buses," Mr. Farrand said. "The transition to owning and operating our own transportation fleet has provided significant savings."
Other items in the proposed capital project include improvements to the district's main school building that include replacing some existing windows, floor tiles and heating ventilators, as recommended by a 2021 Building Condition Survey.
The district states that approximately 80.1% of the project would be funded with New York state building aid, $500,000 from school district reserves, and the local portion would be paid for with property taxes.
A property valued at $100,000 would see a tax impact of $89.41 with no exemptions beginning during the 2024-2025 fiscal school year.
The district has held four community information sessions, the last on Dec. 13.
"The Board of Education values input from community members," he said. "At the end of the day, we are a community school and taking the initiative to invite, welcome, and include the community is what creates the foundation of this improvement project," Mr. Farrand said.
Farrand discussed the proposed transportation facility at a community information session on Dec. 13, the fourth such session he has offered in recent months. While initial plans revolved around purchasing town property, the availability of state aid ultimately changed those plans to building on school property, according to Mr. Farrand.
"The feedback has allowed the district to conclude that the district should build the facility itself. We can work with others by considering the sharing of services and facility amenities after the building is finished," Mr. Farrand said.
He noted that a new facility must take into account a New York state mandate that requires school districts to begin purchasing electric buses in 2027, with a total fleet conversion to occur no later than 2035. A new transportation facility would allow the district to properly plan and incorporate electric vehicle infrastructure into the proposed project, he added.
