On May 20, Pine Bush Central School District residents will be voting on more than just their 2008-2009 school budget. On that Tuesday, local voters will have the opportunity to cast a ballot for Proposition #2 which would authorize the use of a $1.5 million Excel Project grant that district officials received in January. Excel funds may not be used to finance new capital projects such as the construction of a new building.

However, the grant budgeted by the State Education Department's (SED) last summer, can be used to assist districts in the areas of "educational technology, accessibility energy and physical capacity expansion." School board members are hoping to use the project's funds to remedy a slew of maintenance issues that involve every one of the district's seven class buildings in order to keep within the SED's code requirements.

The Excel Project is meant to supplement the $9.5 million dollar building budget that the district will be requesting for the 2008-2009 school year. School board members maintain that the district's voters would essentially receive the $1.5 million that Proposition #2 would make available for free, claiming that the money that Excel represents would have been expended elsewhere throughout the state if the PBCSD had not been the recipient.

The vast list of suggested improvements (a partial list is included below) was compiled over several months using the recommendations of a number of parties including each building's principal, a series of architectural evaluations and concerns raised by school board members who toured the various facilities.

If the measure should pass, the district would begin work on its proposed list of improvements by this summer. A casual review of the improvement wish list shows that student security and safety is the project's main thrust with six out of the seven buildings slated to receive security cameras and five out of the seven buildings receiving renovations that would make them more accessible for disabled students and staff.

Pakanasink Elementary School

Security Cameras
Access Control
Replace Classroom Cabinets
Replace Library Carpet
Add Ventilation For Occupied Spaces

Pine Bush Elementary School

Ventilation For Interior Occupied Spaces
Reconfigure Ventilation in Classrooms
Replace Exterior Front Doors
Security Cameras
Access Control

E.J. Russell Elementary School

Security Cameras
Parking Lot Expansion
Add Playground Fencing
ADA (Americans With Disabilities Act) Stage Access
ADA Reconfiguration Of Rear Entry

Crispell Middle School

Security Cameras
Replace Corridor Lockers
Replace Carpet In Music Room and Library
Gym Locker Replacement
Roof Membrane Replacement

Circleville Middle School

Exterior Building Security Cameras
ADA Access To Main Entry
Replace Gym Lockers
Replace Corridor Lockers
Roof Membrane Replacement

Pine Bush High School

Replace Carpet In Main Office, Library, And Guidance Office
Add Air Conditioning For Auditorium
Repair Stage Wood Floor
Replace Lockers In Pool Locker Room
Refurbish Bleachers For Main Gym

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