Unadilla Valley School District Resident To Vote On $17.8 Million Project
Published: November 17th, 2022

A vote by district residents on a $17.8 million project is slated for Dec. 14, 2022.(ES file photo)

NEW BERLIN – As Unadilla Valley Central School District approaches the 20th anniversary of the opening of its Pre-K through Grade 12 school building, a capital project is under development that would help shore the building up for the future.

A vote by district residents on a $17.8 million project is slated for Dec. 14, 2022.

The renovations and improvements would be funded through state aid and an allocation from the district’s reserve funds. The project is expected to be budget neutral, with no anticipated impact on the tax levy.

The vote will be held from noon to 8 p.m. in Storm Alley at the District Office entrance.

“Just like our own homes, the components, materials and equipment of a school degrade, break down or become obsolete over time. As with our homes, it’s typically not possible to fix or upgrade everything at once,” Superintendent Brenton Taylor said.

About half of the cost of the proposed project will be devoted to roof and HVAC work that will complete a staged, building-wide overhaul that began in 2015. A second project approved in 2018 featured more work to renovate and upgrade the school building and the campus.

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“Completing these renovations and upgrades in stages allows the district to be good stewards of our school building and grounds, while limiting financial impacts to district residents,” Mr. Taylor said. “A new roof and HVAC system will ensure the school building is safe, comfortable and energy efficient for many years to come.”

Public restrooms to replace portable toilets; team rooms; and a concession building are intended to help create a better student-athlete and community experience at our athletics facilities and grounds. New wayfinding signage is intended to make navigating our campus easier.

A new generator would provide a substantial boost to the district’s emergency electricity capacity and would position the school as an emergency shelter for area residents, while allowing the district to continue caring for, educating and feeding students during power outages.

“We’ve seen time and again over the years how our region is susceptible to power outages and severe weather,” Mr. Taylor said. “Our school is a community hub, in both good times and bad, and this project will honor that tradition.”

The proposed project has been in the planning stage since the 2021-22 school year.

The UV Facilities Committee, which consists of school administrators, faculty and staff, the Board of Education and community members, reviewed building condition surveys and met regularly to discuss the needs of the district. These public meetings also included architects, who aided the Committee’s efforts to develop a project scope, and consultation with financial experts to determine how the impact on taxpayers could be minimized.

If approved by a majority of district residents on Dec. 14, the project would then enter a design phase, New York State Education Department review and a competitive bidding process early next year.

The scope of the project includes:

Main Campus and Building

Public restrooms, team rooms and a concession building for the athletic fields

New plumbing and fixtures in locker rooms

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Replacing an existing generator to increase capacity

Installing single stall restrooms

HVAC upgrades

Geothermal pump replacement

Pool equipment room improvements

Main Secondary School gym renovations

Roof repairs in areas not covered under previous projects