2023 PROPOSED CAPITAL PROJECT

Thank you to the Tuckahoe Community! Our referendum overwhelmingly passed, allowing us to begin work on our 2023 Capital Project. This project includes a renovation of the Cottle Cafeteria and important infrastructure work in both buildings. 

YES - 393
NO - 152

72.1% - YES
27.9% - NO

Tuckahoe continues its march into the future! Thank you for your support as Tuckahoe leads the way. 

 

2023 Proposed Capital Project

NOTICE OF SPECIAL DISTRICT MEETING
TUCKAHOE UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT,
IN THE COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER, NEW YORK 

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a resolution of the Board of Education of Tuckahoe Union Free School District, in the County of Westchester, New York, adopted on December 12, 2022, a Special District Meeting of the qualified voters of said School District will be held on:

Wednesday, February 15, 2023

from 6:00 o’clock A.M. to 9:00 o’clock P.M.(Prevailing Time), at the following voting places: (1) Tuckahoe Community Center, 71 Columbus Avenue, Tuckahoe, New York, for those persons residing in School Election District A; and (2) William E. Cottle School, 2 Siwanoy Boulevard, Eastchester, New York, for those persons residing in School Election District B; for the purpose of voting upon the following Bond Proposition:

The Bond Proposition shall appear on the ballots used for voting at said Special District Meeting in substantially the following form:

BOND PROPOSITION

YES                                                                NO

RESOLVED:

1. That the Board of Education of Tuckahoe Union Free School District, in the County of Westchester, New York (the “District”), is hereby authorized (i) to expend the amount of $4,000,000, in addition to the amount heretofore approved by the voters on May 18, 2021, for the construction of alterations and improvements to all District school buildings and sites (the “2021 Project”), such additional amount needed on account of unanticipated increases in the costs of the 2021 Project, and (ii) to construct additional alterations and improvements to all District school buildings and/or sites (the “2023 Project” and together with the 2021 Project, the “Project”); and to expend therefor the amount of $5,250,000; both expenditures equaling the estimated total aggregate cost of not to exceed $9,250,000;  (b) that the amount of $750,000, is hereby authorized to be expended from the District’s “Tuckahoe Union Free School District Capital Reserve Fund-2020” heretofore approved by the voters in June 2020 to pay for a portion of the cost of the Project; and  (c) that a tax is hereby voted in the amount of not to exceed $8,500,000 to pay the balance of said estimated total aggregate cost of the Project, such tax to be levied and collected in installments in such years and in such amounts as shall be determined by the Board of Education; and that in anticipation of such tax, the Board of Education is hereby authorized to issue bonds of the District in a principal amount of not to exceed $8,500,000, and a tax is hereby authorized to pay the principal of and interest on such bonds.

The voting will be conducted as provided in the Education Law and the polls will remain open from 6:00 o’clock A.M. to 9:00 o’clock P.M. (Prevailing Time) and as much longer as may be necessary to enable the voters then present to cast their ballots.

AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that personal registration of voters is required either pursuant to §2014 of the Education law or pursuant to Article § 5 of the Election Law.  If a voter has heretofore registered pursuant to §2014 of the Education Law and has voted at an annual or special district meeting within the last four (4) calendar years, he/she is eligible to vote at such Special District Meeting; if a voter is registered and eligible to vote under Article 5 of the Election Law, he/she is also eligible to vote at such Special District Meeting.  All other persons who wish to vote must register.

Residents may register to vote with the District Clerk on any school business day before February 2, 2023 between the hours of 8:30 o’clock A.M. and 3:30 o’clock P.M. (Prevailing Time) at the District Clerk's Office, at which time any person will be entitled to have his or her name placed on such Register, provided that he or she is known or proven to the satisfaction of the District Clerk to be then or thereafter entitled to vote at such Special District Meeting for which the register is prepared.  The register so prepared pursuant to §2014 of the Education Law will be filed in the Office of the Clerk of the School District at 65 Siwanoy Boulevard, and will be open for inspection by any qualified voter of the District beginning five (5) days prior to such Special District Meeting, between the hours of 8:30 o’clock A.M. and 3:30 o’clock P.M., (Prevailing Time) on weekdays, and on Saturday, February 11, 2023 between the hours of 9:00 o’clock A.M. and 11:00 o’clock A.M. (Prevailing Time) and at the polling places on the day of the vote.

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that applications for absentee ballots may be applied for at the office of the District Clerk.  If the ballot is to be mailed to the voter, the completed application must be received by the District Clerk no later than 4:00 o’clock P.M. (Prevailing Time) on February 8, 2023.  If the ballot is to be delivered personally to the voter at the office of the District Clerk, the completed application must be received by the District Clerk no later than 4:00 o’clock P.M. (Prevailing Time) on February 14, 2023.

A list of all persons to whom absentee ballots shall have been issued will be available in the office of the District Clerk during regular business hours on each of the five (5) days prior to the day of such Special District Meeting, except Saturdays and Sundays. 

AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Military voters who are not currently registered may apply to register as a qualified voter of the school district.  Military voters may apply to register to vote with the District Clerk in person at 65 Siwanoy Boulevard, Eastchester, New York or by calling that office at (914) 337-6600 Ext. 1251.  Upon such request for a military voter application, such military voter may indicate his/her preference for receiving the application for registration by mail, facsimile or electronic mail.  Such registration application must be received in the office of the District Clerk no later than 5:00 p.m. on March 20, 2023. Any military voter shall be entitled to have his/her name placed upon such register, provided, that he/she is known or proven to be to the satisfaction of the District Clerk, to be then or thereafter entitled to military voter status at the annual meeting and election for which such register is prepared.

AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, in accordance with Part 122 of the Rules and Regulations of the Commissioner of Education, military voters who are qualified voters of the school district may apply for a military ballot.  Applications for military ballots for said Special District Meeting may be requested from the Office of the District Clerk in person at 65 Siwanoy Boulevard, Eastchester, New York or by calling that office at (914) 337-6600 Ext. 1251.  Upon such request for a military voter ballot application, such military voter may indicate his/her preference for receiving the application by mail, facsimile or electronic mail.   Completed military ballot applications must be received by the Clerk of the District no later than 5:00 pm on March 20, 2023.

 

A list of all persons to whom military ballots shall have been issued will be available in the said Office of the Clerk of the District on each of the five days prior to the date set for the annual meeting and election, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., prevailing time, on weekdays, and on Saturday, February 11, 2023 between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. and at the polling places on the day of the vote.

The boundaries of the election districts are designated as being those areas as follows:

1)         School Election District A is comprised of all of the area lying west of the west line of Midland Avenue and

2)         School Election District B is comprised of all of the area lying east of the line of Midland Avenue and north of the southeast boundary line of the Siwanoy Country Club.

A person shall be entitled to vote at said Special District meeting only if such person is a qualified voter and is:

-           A citizen of the United States

-           At least eighteen years of age

-           A resident within the District for a period of thirty days next preceding said Special District Meeting

-           Must be registered to vote in Westchester County or School Elections.

BY THE ORDER OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION

Dated:  December 12, 2022

ROBYN DUNN
District Clerk

Section 4.  The vote upon the Bond Proposition to be submitted to the qualified voters shall be by ballot, and the District Clerk is hereby authorized and directed to have the necessary ballots printed, in form corresponding as nearly as may be with the requirements of the Education Law.

Section 5.  The proceeds of the bonds authorized pursuant to the Bond Proposition set forth in Section 3 hereof, and any bond anticipation notes issued in anticipation of said bonds, may be applied to reimburse the District for expenditures made for the purpose or purposes for which said bonds are authorized.  The foregoing statement of intent with respect to reimbursement is made in conformity with Treasury Regulation Section 1.150-2 of the United States Treasury Department.

 

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A Message from the Superintendent

Dear Tuckahoe Schools Community: 

On Monday, December 12th, the Trustees of the Board of Education discussed a proposal from our Facilities Committee to launch a new Capital Project to redesign the Cottle cafeteria and improve our HVAC systems. These and other infrastructure improvements were a part of recommendations put forth in our recent building condition survey. 

Due to unprecedented inflation and supply chain issues, the bids for the HVAC work and the addition and alterations to the Cottle cafeteria were not able to be completed as part of the previous project. Despite this setback to our original scope, several key components of the 2021 project are either complete or nearing completion. These include:

• New William E. Cottle Field, a broad, turf-based playing space for recess, athletics, and community use;
• William E. Cottle Playground and Siwanoy Boulevard Improvements, providing additional playing space in a safe, engaging enclosure for our Cottle Cubs and community;
• Redesign of the MS/HS Library, with open learning spaces, breakout rooms for student collaboration, and state-of-the-art AV equipment and learning furniture; and 
• Renovation of the MS/HS Cafeteria, including new eating spaces, display boards, and modern furniture and design.

We are proud of what we were able to accomplish. Building on this momentum, we worked with community and Board members on our Facilities Committee to develop a proposal we will present at the next meeting of the Board of Education. This proposal will be put before voters in February of 2023:

William E. Cottle School: 

• Upgrades and improvements to our cafeteria at William E. Cottle Elementary School
• HVAC work will provide upgrades to ventilation and air quality for student/staff health and wellness
• New funding for critical infrastructure work that has surfaced in the past few years, including security upgrades such as new cameras and doors. 

The additional funding for the Cottle scope listed above is approximately $3,450,000. The proposed improvements at the William E. Cottle cafeteria have been re-designed to lower the proposed cost of this project element. The Facilities Committee, including building administrators, supports this redesign and agree that it will meet the school’s needs.

Tuckahoe Middle/High School:

• Additional funding to complete the work that could not be completed as part of the previous project. This includes HVAC work in the older part of the building and some masonry restoration work. The HVAC work will provide upgrades to ventilation and air quality for student/staff health and wellness. 
• Partial roof replacement and related masonry repair,
• Replacement of all steam piping and traps in the pipe tunnels,
• Additional masonry restoration,
• Replacement of all steam traps above the pipe tunnels,
• Repair leaking plumbing piping, and
• Security upgrades, including replacing the entire PA/intercom/bell & clock system. 

The new funding for Tuckahoe Middle/High School totals $5,800,000. This component of the project addresses major infrastructure needs and will preserve the longevity of our assets and facilities. These investments aim to maintain a state of good repair in our buildings and modernize our assets. The District does ongoing, routine maintenance work every year. The proposed work is not considered “routine maintenance,” but, instead, it is composed of projects that fall outside the definition of routine maintenance. Replacing these big-ticket items that are approaching or are at the end of their useful lives through the bond will avoid costly, emergency action in the future, achieve economies of scale and minimize disruption to the students. Investment in school facilities is effective not only in achieving its primary goal of improving health and safety but also in inducing secondary effects such as heightened academic performance. A quality educational environment can have a positive influence on the attitudes and behaviors of both students and teachers.

The replacement of interior lighting will be included at both schools to the extent that the budget will allow. 

Our historic buildings require updates, and our learning spaces need to be redesigned to keep pace with the progress we make toward our strategic plan goals. The total proposed funding request is for $9,250,000. $750,000 of that amount will be requested to be taken from the capital reserve fund established by the Board for this purpose.

Please view our meeting online below.  I thank the Facilities Committee, School Board Trustees, and building leadership for their hard work, and I extend my appreciation to the Tuckahoe Schools community for their unwavering support. 

 

Sincerely,

Dr. Amy Goodman
Superintendent of Schools

Additional Resources

 TUFSD Capital Project Presentation to the Board of Education 12.12.22  
Cost of Proposed Capital Project 2023 

Communication Timeline

December 12, 2023	Board of Education Meeting The Capital Project is presented and the proposal is adopted by the Board of Education.
January 3, 2023	Board of Education Special Meeting and Workshop Dr. Goodman and Ms. Sparks provide a comprehensive facilities update and overview of the proposed Capital Project.
January 6, 2023	Podcast: Laying the Groundwork for Success A podcast featuring Dr. Goodman's overview of the 2021 Capital Project and the proposed 2023 Capital Project.
January 12, 2023	Principal's Coffee: William E. Cottle Elementary School Dr. Goodman joins Principal's Coffees at 9:30 am in the Cottle Cafeteria and at 7:00 PM via Zoom.
January 19, 2023	A TUFSD Town Hall on the Proposed Capital Project (Virtual) Representatives of the School Board and Facilities Committee will join Dr. Goodman and Ms. Sparks for a Town Hall on the Proposed Capital Project.
January 25, 2023	Principal's Coffee: Tuckahoe Middle and High School Dr. Goodman joins Principal's Coffees in-person and via zoom.
February 7, 2023	PTA Executive Counsel Dr. Goodman joins the PTA Executive Counsel to share details about the Proposed Capital Project.
February 13, 2023	A TUFSD Town Hall on the Proposed Capital Project (Virtual) Representatives of the School Board and Facilities Committee will join Dr. Goodman and Ms. Sparks for a Town Hall on the Proposed Capital Project.
February 15, 2023	VOTE!