A new multi-purpose turf field at Huntington High School is among the projects included in a capital reserve fund proposition that will appear on the Tuesday, May 17 ballot in Huntington UFSD.
If voters approve the proposition, the field will be constructed and marked for an assortment of sports, including soccer, lacrosse, field hockey and football as well as being available to physical education classes and for marching band rehearsals and community organizations.
The field project is among several initiatives included in the proposition. The projects are estimated to cost $6.640 million, but passage will not result in an increase in taxes since the monies already exist in a reserve fund established to cover costs with renovation and reconstruction work.
The projects will utilize monies held in the 2008, 2013, 2017 and 2018 Building Improvement Funds. Huntington UFSD’s ongoing use of capital reserve funds has allowed the district to avoid borrowing large sums of money, incurring interest expense and compiling debt. The district’s long-term debt will drop below $1 million by the end of the current school year and be completely eliminated by June 2026.
Capital reserve fund monies represent dollars already provided to the district by taxpayers that weren’t needed to pay for regular school operations because of economizing. The source of the capital reserve funding is the annual transfer of surplus monies from the district’s general fund.
If residents approve release of the Building Improvement Fund monies, the district will be able to complete all of the projects without needing to bond or borrow any of the funds necessary. There will no tax rate impact if the funds are released. The district will also be eligible to be reimbursed by the state for a substantial percentage of final costs.
The projects that will be on the May 17 ballot include:
Huntington High School
• Construct new multi-sport turf athletic field: $2.725 million
• Partially replace the roof: $1 million
J. Taylor Finley Middle School
• Parking lot renovations; floor tile replacement in four offices and the common area: $375,000
Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School
• Partially replace the roof: $1 million
Flower Hill Primary School
• Upgrade electric service and switchgear: $350,000
• Install new gas/carbon monoxide detector: $30,000
Jefferson Primary School
• Upgrade electric service and switchgear: $300,000
Southdown Primary School
• Install new gas/carbon monoxide detector: $30,000
Washington Primary School
• Install two new boilers: $800,000
• Install new gas/carbon monoxide detector: $30,000
District total: $6,640,000
Should the proposition pass on May 17, the district’s architectural and engineering firm will design the projects and submit plans to the State Education Department for approval. Once SED gives the green light, the district will seek bids for the projects. District officials are hopeful that the bids will come in below estimates, lowering the ultimate cost of the projects.
New 2022 Building Improvement Fund Proposed
A second capital reserve fund proposition on the May 17 ballot asks residents for permission to establish a new capital reserve fund formally called the 2022 Building Improvement Fund.
It would exist “for a probable term of 10 years” and be funded in an “ultimate amount” of $15 million, according to the text of the proposition. The purpose of the fund is to cover costs “in whole or in part” related to capital improvements to the district’s facilities, “including but not limited to reconstruction and renovation of facilities, roofing, asbestos abatement, heating/ventilation, masonry work, windows, site work and related work, with such funds to be obtained from end-of-year budget surplus funds and/or budget appropriations and the interest accrued on such funds over the term of the capital reserve fund.”
No bonds will be sold or monies borrowed to fund the proposed 2022 Building Improvement Fund. There will be no interest expense.