At its next meeting, the Facilities Planning Committee plans to finalize a recommendation to the Board of Education on how to move forward with the district’s buildings.
The committee’s next meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Thursday, March 27, at Mountain View Campus in Elizabethtown.
At the committee’s February meeting, members looked at cost estimates for updates to Mountain View Campus, which would include renovations to bring it up to code and an addition to move all elementary programming to the Elizabethtown campus.
Committee members reviewed estimates for a limited project that would address critical needs in the building condition survey done in the fall, as well as create basic space for elementary programs. This option would raise the tax levy by an estimated 5.7%. They also looked at numbers for a full renovation and addition, which would have an estimated 19.3% impact on the tax levy.
Committee Facilitator Joe Dragone, from Capital Region BOCES, estimated that if the district wants to bring a project to the public for a vote by spring 2026, the committee should bring a recommendation to the board for its meeting on April 10.
Dr. Dragone gave this estimated schedule:
- April 2025: BOE approval of project approach
- June to December 2025: Work through project approval and aid numbers with state Education Department
- January to February 2026: Bond financials finalized
- March 2026: BOE adopts resolution, project referendum
- May 2026: Public votes on the project
Extending the timeline could mean additional costs and a potential for lower state aid.
Also at the March meeting, the committee plans to re-review the space needs for all academic programs. Committee members say they have heard from the community that some think Pre-K through grade 12 can fit into Mountain View Campus as it currently is, without a building addition.
The Facilities Planning Committee was formed in fall 2024 after district residents voted in February 2024 against building a new school to replace both current campuses at a different location. After considering other options for moving forward with the district’s facilities over previous months, the committee has been focused on how to bring all programs to Mountain View Campus in Elizabethtown.
While the committee has spent some time discussing new and/or upgraded bus garage and athletic fields, too much is still uncertain about those two areas. Because of that, the committee is likely to leave those areas out of their recommendation so the district can stay on the projected schedule.
For meeting notes and a full meeting recording, go to boquetvalleycsd.org/facilities.
