Capital Improvement Projects are done by school districts across the state for a number of reasons. First, a district receives State Building Aid to help cover the expenses of a project. Our Building Aid ratio is currently around 78 percent, which means that for every dollar we spend on eligible work we receive approximately 78 cents back in aid. As a result of the Building Aid that is received, it is cheaper for districts to address needs proactively in a project rather than reactively when they occur. Just like homes need roofs, boilers or pipes replaced, or just like home repairs or updates are needed periodically, these items are also things schools need to think about. Addressing these items in a project allows the District to receive Building Aid on the work that is completed.

Second, a Capital Improvement Project allows districts to enhance programs for students and to better support the community. Being able to modify existing spaces to enhance student programs allows us to better prepare students for success now, as well as after high school. Being able to update and enhance our facilities allows us to provide spaces the community can benefit from as well.

The current transportation facility was constructed in 1940, and an addition was added to the building in 1963. The current facility needs a great deal of work to be done in order to update it, but it is also in a less-than-ideal location. The District has considered relocating the facility due to the safety and logistic concerns the location presents in the past but never included that relocation in a Capital Improvement Project. We are now in a position where we have two options:

1. Make a significant investment to update a facility that is not in a great location.
2. Build a new facility in a location that would eliminate the safety and logistical concerns that currently exist.

The District and the Facilities Committee believe that a new facility is the most prudent option.

Yes, safety was a major consideration in the District's desire to relocate the Transportation Facility. We believe that moving the Transportation Facility off the Middle/High School campus will improve the safety of the campus. Relocating the Transportation Facility also opens up additional parking for events at the Middle/High School.

In addition, the project includes other safety upgrades such as new paging systems at the Middle/High School as well as in the Elementary School, door replacements throughout the District, window hardware replacements, and upgrades to the fire alarm control panels.

The old bus garage will be repurposed into a student learning space where we will offer courses in Auto-Tech, Small Engine Repair, Welding and other related subjects. By offering these courses, we aim to provide students with an Agricultural Education Pathway to graduation. Having these courses available on-site will allow more students to access these electives, providing them with the opportunity to learn valuable life skills. We are currently in discussions with Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES to explore the possibility of using the old facility as a satellite site for Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs. If the old garage can serve as a satellite site for CTE programs, it could potentially generate revenue for the District.

We are also proposing the space adjacent to the bus bays be converted into a School Based or School Linked Health Clinic. This would allow students—and potentially community members—access to health care, mental health care and dental care at no cost to the District, and may also allow us to generate revenue.

The proposed project would address the separation of bus and parent traffic. The proposed project would provide a driveway that would allow buses to enter and exit the new Transportation Facility via Oakmount Avenue. This would provide buses with two means of egress (Oakmount or 444) in case of an emergency. The Facilities Committee placed a priority on safety considerations and felt that providing buses two means of egress off campus was important.

Adding turf to the Upper Baseball and Softball infields was not something that we had originally planned on. We originally had planned to locate the new Transportation Facility adjacent to the Elementary School. We selected that location because it would not disturb any existing athletic fields. That location required quite a bit of cut-and-fill work and that work proved to be extremely expensive. To bring the budget down we looked at building the facility on land that was already flat, where the JV softball field is currently located. Building the new facility there would be much less expensive but would mean that we would lose a softball field as well as a baseball field. To address this, we looked at replacing these fields with new fields as part of the project. To build two new grass ball fields and provide the proper drainage, etc., also proved to be extremely expensive. The Committee then discussed adding turf to the upper fields to allow them to be utilized more often. The price for that was within the budget we targeted. We also recognized that turf is more cost-effective over the long-term because turf fields require far less maintenance—grass fields must be mowed and lined—turf fields are not as weather dependent. Our current grass/dirt fields for baseball and softball do not stand up to regular use in rainy and muddy spring conditions. This often results in canceled practices, rescheduled games and even Bloomfield teams playing “home” games on turf fields elsewhere. Baseball and softball have been canceled on sunny days because fields were saturated from rain the previous few days. Drainage and drying time on synthetic turf is significantly better.

Fields proposed for this Capital Project have an anticipated lifespan of approximately 15 years. Replacing the field surface and infill 15 years from now would be eligible for state building aid as part of a Capital Project. That would pay for most of the cost without the need to divert other funds.

In the Bloomfield School District, Capital Improvement Projects are developed through the work and collaboration of a Facilities Committee. The Facilities Committee includes individuals from the District’s architect firm, the community, our facilities department, the Board of Education, and the leadership team.

The Facilities Committee collaboratively reviewed our Building Conditions Survey, which identifies needed infrastructure work, and reviewed the list of items we were hoping to accomplish in past projects but were never completed. The group also looked at what needs the District had and discussed how project work might address those needs. The group then prioritized the list while also taking cost factors into consideration to develop the “scope” or entirety of the proposed project. In the case of this project, an emphasis on Health and Safety, Operations and Efficiencies and Student Programming were prioritized.

The most significant aspect of this project will be the construction of a new Transportation Facility. The new facility will be situated off the Middle/High School Campus and will be capable of accommodating all types of buses, as well as making the Middle/High School campus much safer. Relocating the Transportation Facility would necessitate a reconfiguration of the parking layout at the Middle/High School, resulting in increased parking space. This will allow us to repurpose the current facility into student learning spaces, where we could offer education in areas such as Auto Technology, Small Engine Repair, and Welding. The new facility would include a parking lot for use as overflow parking for the upper baseball and softball fields as well.

The other major item included in the project will be the addition of a turf infield on both the upper baseball and upper softball fields. The turf is necessary due to the displacement of the lower softball and baseball fields. The turf infields will enable both fields to be utilized more frequently, regardless of weather conditions.

The total cost of this project, minus the cost of the Transportation Facility, is right in-line with what projects in the past have come in at.

The new Transportation Facility is not being built solely to support EV buses. The District has had a desire to relocate the current Transportation Facility for the last two decades. As noted previously, the current location provides safety and logistical challenges in the garage as well as on the M/HS campus. In the early 1980s, the District actually purchased land to build a new facility on but discovered the land was in a watershed area, thus making a building project impossible. Recently, New York State passed a law mandating all public school districts in New York State to purchase electric (EV) buses. This mandate, which will prohibit schools from purchasing gas- or diesel-powered school buses, begins in the 2027 school year. The law also requires school districts to have their entire fleet converted to fully electric buses by the year 2035. Given this mandate, the District felt it had two options regarding addressing the issues with the garage:

1. Make a significant investment to update a facility that is not in a great location.

2. Build a new facility in a location that would eliminate the safety and logistical concerns that currently exist.

The Facilities Committee believed the best course of action was to build a new garage off of the Middle/High School campus. Building a new garage would ensure we had a safer and more conducive environment to service buses while also moving the garage off of the Middle/High School campus. The group also felt that it made sense to put the infrastructure in to support EV buses since we would need to run electric service to the building during the build.

Currently, EV buses are much more expensive than gas or diesel buses, but the state and federal government are offering grants to greatly reduce the cost. The District has engaged in a feasibility study and has also completed a free “Fleet Transition Plan” through NYSERDA. By participating in these, the District is now eligible for grant opportunities to make the transition much more manageable. Many districts have already purchased EV buses to add to their fleets. Without the infrastructure to support EV buses, the District cannot currently take advantage of grants and rebates that are available.

It is important to note that the District cannot purchase any new buses, including an EV bus, without a public referendum on those purchases.

During the District's Feasibility Study and Fleet Transition Plan completion, we learned that RG&E would be able to supply the power needed to charge our buses. It is important to note that RG&E is not the only electric provider in the region and that each utility provider is different. In our case, it appears that RG&E is prepared and able to support our power needs.

The proposed project will total $35 million. It is important to note that Capital Improvement Projects are eligible for State Aid. With a building aid ratio of just under 78 percent, approximately 78 cents would be received in state aid for every dollar spent on the project. $3.5 million dollars will be utilized from the District's Capital Project Reserve to mitigate the local share impact, which we estimate to be approximately 21 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value. All in all, this would amount to an increase of $21 / year on a $100,000 home, $42 per year on a $200,000 home, and $63 per year on a $300,000 home. For those eligible for Basic or Enhanced STAR, the impact would be even less.

The District held an Open House at the current bus garage on November 16, where the community was invited to attend to see the issues with the current facility first-hand, ask questions, and learn more about the project. In addition, the District also held a Public Hearing on the proposed project on Monday, December 9 where community were invited to ask questions, share concerns and learn more. On Monday, December 16, the District also hosted a drop-in opportunity for members of the community to come, ask questions, and speak with members of the Facilities Committee.

You can also find information on our district website (BloomfieldCSD.org) under the tab at the top of the toolbar labeled 2024 Capital Project. All community members are also encouraged to call (585-657-6121) or email adoell@bloomfieldcsd.org with any questions or comments they have related to the project.

The public vote on the proposed project will occur on Tuesday, December 17 from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the Middle/High School Large Group Instruction (LGI) room. The LGI is located near the Athletic Entrance to the Middle/High School.