Capital Reserve Proposition Includes Projects in Seven Buildings

Huntington School Board members have approved a capital reserve fund proposition and placed it on the May 20 ballot. If the proposal is approved by residents it will fund an estimated $3,642,500 million worth of projects.

Passage of the proposition will not result in any increase in taxes since the monies already exist in reserve fund established to cover costs with renovation and reconstruction work.

The projects will utilize monies drawn from the 2022 Building Improvement Fund. Huntington UFSD’s use of capital reserve funds has allowed the district to avoid borrowing large sums of money, incurring interest costs and accumulating debt. The district’s long-term debt will be completely extinguished by a payment due on June 30.

The monies in the capital reserve fund represent dollars already provided to the district by taxpayers that weren’t need for regular school operations due to stringent fiscal management and economizing. The source of the 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 20 ballot include:

Flower Hill Primary School

• Interior Doors – Kitchen Tray Pass: $20,000

• Stage Egress/Fire-rated Walls: $100,000

Jefferson Primary School

• Interior Doors – Kitchen Tray Pass: $20,000

Southdown Primary School

• Interior Doors – Kitchen Tray Pass: $20,000

• State Egress/Fire-rating Walls: $100,000

Washington Primary School

• Interior Doors – Kitchen Tray Pass: $20,000

• State Egress/Fire-rating Walls: $100,000

Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School

• Interior Doors – Kitchen Tray Pass: $20,000

• Partial Roof Replacement (Phase 4): $1,000,000

Woodhull Intermediate School

• Interior Doors – Kitchen Tray Pass: $20,000

Huntington High School

1. Interior-rating Walls: $150,000

2. Stair Enclosure for Smoke Separation: $472,500

3. Outside Athletic Field Bathrooms: $1,600,000

Total for All Projects: $3,642,500

Should the proposition pass on May 20, the district’s architectural and engineering firm of BBS will formally design each of the projects and submit the plans to the State Education Department for approval. Once SED approval is received, the district will seek bids for the work. District officials are hopeful that the bids will come in below estimates, lowering the cost of the projects.