District Considers $96.5mm Bond Referendum: What Do You Think?

The Scarsdale School District is in the midst of planning for major capital improvements and is requesting feedback from residents on how much should be spent and what work should be done.

Why now? $40 million in debt service is rolling off in the 2027-28 school year, and new bonds will be sold to raise funds for continued improvements at the schools. In order to define district priorities, District Architects BBS conducted a comprehensive facilities survey of building conditions, HVAC, plumbing and electric. Their work was supplied to a Capital Projects Steering Committee comprised of many different members of the community. They reviewed a long list of needs and identified $95.6 million in recommended projects.

The work comprises both spatial improvements and expansion as well as infrastructure needs, air conditioning and field work.

Here is a breakdown of the proposal:

Most noticeable would be the $44.3 million in spatial work which is explained as follows:

Spatial projects directly impact the student learning environment, and the committee prioritized projects that address student enrollment, contemporary program needs, and the creation of highly-flexible multi-use spaces. Five of our seven buildings have spatial construction and/or renovation projects included as summarized below.

- Fox Meadow Addition & Reconstruction - A new two-story addition that includes a new library and lunch/multipurpose room, repurposing the existing spaces to create 4 additional classrooms and work spaces to accommodate a seventy-five year high in enrollment of 516 students. $20,300,400

- Classroom Renovations - Renovation (to include replacement of flooring, lighting, ceilings, painting, and furniture only, creating an updated physical environment) of 29 classrooms at Edgewood and 27 at Fox Meadow. Budgeted at $175,000 each, the work will include new floors, ceilings, lighting, paint and classroom furniture. $9,650,000

- Library Renovations - Full renovation of Heathcote and Scarsdale Middle School Libraries to reflect the kind of dynamic, multi-use learning environments students and teachers need now and in the future; creation of small group study spaces with glass walls at Scarsdale High School. $10,260,000

- High School Art Room, LRC, & Little Theater - Renovation and reconstruction of the long-outdated 3D art room, reconfiguration and reconstruction of the learning resources center (LRC), renovation of the Little Theater for flexible use, and addition of two bathrooms. $4,847,200

- Multipurpose Space Improvements - The addition of storage at Edgewood to increase flexibility and improve lunch service in the Old Multipurpose Room and renovation of all four dining rooms at SMS to increase flexibility for a variety of purposes beyond lunch service. $2,180,000

Infrastructure work comprises the second biggest portion of the proposal, totaling $33.5mm. These items include flooring, ceilings, pipes, improvements for ADA compliance, ventilation fire alarms and more.

Another $12 mm will be spent to air condition large spaces including gymnasiums, auditoriums, cafeterias and multipurpose rooms across the district along with the Heathcote School classrooms.

Last the proposal includes construction of a multiuse synthetic turf field at Scarsdale Middle Schools for $4mm and softball or multi-use rectangular field at Fox Meadow for $1,699mm.

However, all this comes at a cost. If the district spent only $40 million, the bond would be tax neutral. However, the proposal to spend $96.5 million will mean a tax increase of $500 per household for the average homeowner in Scarsdale. This is in addition to the regular tax increase each year.

Each $10mm in spending above the $40mm tax neutral project translates to a $100 per year tax increase per household, for the average household.

Not included in the plans are two proposed large projects: Advocates at Edgewood School are calling for an $18.8 mm addition to include new classrooms and a multi-purpose room. Also discussed, but not adopted, was a new cafeteria at Scarsdale Middle School to accommodate lunch for an entire grade at a cost of $15-$36 million. Currently students eat in their individual house cafeterias.

See details of the proposal here:

What do you think? In order to assess community opinion on the bond referendum, the district has posted a survey and invites you to participate.

Click here to take the survey: