SARATOGA SPRINGS — From 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, May 15, at all elementary schools within the Saratoga Springs City School District, residents will be voting on five different proposals. $125,980,236 is proposed overall and calls for a 2.66 percent spending increase and a tax levy of 3.93 percent.
Proposition Two would authorize the school district to spend an estimated $1,040,000 to purchase eight 66-passenger school buses, one 30-passenger bus, one 23-passenger wheelchair bus, and one SUV. State aid would reimburse the district for 40 percent of the cost. In addition to the budget vote, district residents will elect three candidates to the Board of Education for three- year terms.
Proposition Three: The Great Outdoors Capital Project
Total project cost is estimated at $15,600,523 with no new additional taxes levied to support the project. A significant portion is being funded by Capital Reserves, $7.5 million. The remaining portion, $8.1 million, will be funded via issuing debt to replace existing debt that is due to expire. 52.37 percent of spending would be on shared community recreation: Eastside Recreation Park, Westside Recreation Park, and a portion of Gavin Park. “An investment in these spaces benefits both District students and community residents,” said the district. Several new developments for each school in the district are proposed: Saratoga Springs High School will have a new bathroom/ concession building, new storage building, expand automated irrigation systems of the football field, main courtyard, and other fields, new lighted multi-purpose turf field, replaced perimeter fencing, outdoor learning courtyard, and LED gymnasium lighting. Maple Avenue Middle School will also have a new courtyard for outdoor learning, library patio extension, dugouts, expanded automated irrigation systems for the baseball infield, softball, soccer, and lacrosse fields, expand field space by clearing trees, two new batting cages, new fencing at the soccer field, LED gymnasium lighting. Caroline Street Elementary School will receive new outdoor learning classrooms and LED gymnasium lighting. Division Street Elementary School will receive a new playground with social and ADA accessible equipment, new covered pavilion with benches, outdoor reading area at the library, LED gymnasium lighting. Dorothy Nolan Elementary School will remove relocatable classrooms, add outdoor storage, new outdoor pavilion, two new ADA accessible playgrounds, courtyard outdoor learning, new section of perimeter fencing, LED gymnasium lighting. Geyser Road Elementary School will receive ADA accessible playground, new nature trail with learning components, new interpretive signage, LED gymnasium lighting. Greenfield Elementary School will receive new outdoor learning space, new buddy benches and social equipment, natural playground at Grove, new section perimeter fencing, improved bus/parent drop off, outdoor pavilion, LED gymnasium lighting. Lake Avenue Elementary School will receive garden planting wall at sidewalk, gymnasium improvements. More information is available at www. saratogaschools.org for Gavin Park, Eastside Rec, and Westside Rec additions.
Proposition Four would authorize the purchase of Greenfield property located at 3190 Route 9N for $100,000. The purchase of this property would allow for parking, an improved bus loop, and improvements in front of the Greenfield Elementary School.
New Proposals Included in the Budget:
• Addition of a 12:1:2 Class Addition of 12:1:2 class for six incoming Kindergarten students with special needs.
• Special Education Teacher (Dorothy Nolan) Retainment of a Special Education Teacher added during the 2017-18 school year based on student needs.
• Teaching Assistant (Maple Avenue) 1:1 Teaching Assistant for a student with specific IEP needs.
• District Ell Teacher Additional support to meet the needs of our growing student English Language Learners population.
• Teaching Assistant (Division Street) 1:1 Teaching Assistant for a student with specific IEP needs.
• FTE – Occupational Therapist Increase Occupational Therapist position from 0.8 to 1.0 as approved during the 2017-18 school year based on student needs.
