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I want to provide some context about the Pleasantville Forward capital project that might be relevant to current conversations. I am concerned about the misinformation being shared and ask that you please refer family and friends to official District communications including our website, PleasantvilleSchools.org, and our social media, Facebook, and Instagram, for up-to-date, factual information. In particular, our questions and answers provide detailed information about the components of the project.
MONEY MATTERS
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$15 million is the cost of Pleasantville Forward. For context, as it compares to other capital projects, this February, Yorktown residents voted to approve a $57 million dollar project, Mt. Pleasant approved a $35 million dollar project last December, and earlier this Fall, the Ossining School District passed a $210 million dollar project.
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PUFSD has a proven history of being fiscally responsible to our taxpayers. Each annual budget since the tax cap law was enacted in 2011 has been within the cap. Proposing a Capital Project bond reflects strong fiscal and facilities planning and responsibly allows the district to allocate general funds to prioritized areas like academics and the arts, which do not qualify for New York State Building Aid.
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Consistent Debt Service. School districts work to maintain a consistent amount of debt service year to year. In the 2029-30 school year, there is a reduction of approximately $1M on the district's debt service. The overlap of when we would start paying for the new $13M bond before the reduction is two years. As always, the school budget must be approved by voters each year.
ALL MEANS ALL
- Our elementary students are out on the BRS playground, and our middle and high school students use the middle/high school fields and track (weather permitting) every school day to participate in physical education, recess, and outdoor learning opportunities.
- More than 50% of our 7th through 12th-grade students participate in a fall and spring sport, and the increase in usable field space is needed to support the athletic programs.
- Limited field space at the middle and high schools negatively impacts our students in Panther Club at BRS, who cannot use the playground turf when it is needed for a team for their practice.
COMMITTED TO PARTNERSHIP AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
- The District’s athletic programs require the full use of our on-campus fields, as well as Parkway. Regardless of the improvements needed at each site, we require both to meet the needs of our student-athletes.
- We have gained valuable insights from this process regarding effective communication with the community. Moving forward, we will make adjustments to our processes based on these learnings, and we are committed to continuous improvement.
- It is critical to understand that the District must adhere to New York State Education Department regulations and processes. Many decisions the community is looking for cannot be made until voters approve the bond. Additional opportunities for engagement come during the design phase, which is when specific decisions about turf, lights, and other important project elements will be made.
- The December 17 vote is another step in the Capital Project journey. We are dedicated to being on this journey together, listening and learning from each other throughout the Capital Project and beyond.
For the youth,
Dr. DeSa
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