New board member challenges Fort Plain bus garage project
By MIKE ZUMMO, The Leader-HeraldFORT PLAIN - Rusty Capece, the Fort Plain Central School District Board of Education's newly elected member, said about 500 district residents signed a petition in about 10 days asking the board to reconsider building a new bus garage next to Harry Hoag Elementary School.
The garage is part of a $17.3 million capital project approved by district voters in February. The garage is expected to cost nearly $6.5 million.
"To spend over $6 million is ridiculous," said Capece, who circulated petitions opposing the new bus garage. "I've been reading that Johnstown, which is a bigger school district, is looking to spend about $2.5 million. I can't understand why Fort Plain needs to spend that much money for a bus garage."
At a Greater Johnstown School District Facilities Committee meeting June 11, officials from Ashley McGraw Architects told the committee the district would have to spend $2.5 million to $3.5 million for a facility that would house the district's 22 buses.
Capece said he was told Fort Plain has 15 large buses and four smaller buses.
"I am not really in favor of a school district operating the buses," Capece said. "I feel that they're in the education business, not the transportation business. It would be more cost-effective to write one check per year to someone like Brown Transportation."
More than 92 percent of the $17.3 million capital-project cost comes from state building aid and a state Expanding Our Children's Education and Learning grant, while only 5.2 percent of the funding will come from property taxes and 2.6 percent will come from capital reserves and the fund balance. However, Capece is concerned about what would happen if the state can't pay the money it promised.
"This project started in 2004, and in 2004, the economic condition of the country was a whole lot different than it is now," Capece said. "Someone on the board or in the administration should have had foresight in 2008 and put the brakes on this and say, take a look at our economy."
The rest of the project will go toward improvements and renovations to the elementary school and the Fort Plain Junior/Senior High School. The $6.7 million in improvements to the elementary school involve reconfiguring the bus loop, a new handicapped-accessible main entrance, roof replacements, door pads, sidewalks and foundation work.
About $2.8 million in renovations is planned for the high school.
"I think the rest of it's great," Capece said. "We need a new roof. They need wheelchair access and they need some parking lot repaving."
Board of Education President David Fredericks said it isn't possible to stop just one part of the capital project.
"It would also change the whole concept of the project," he said. "It was all voted on. Any changes or alterations are going to cost the taxpayers more."
Fredericks said the district has met all the requirements the state has asked for regarding the capital project, and it has received a verbal OK.
"We're just waiting for the paperwork to get back and to go over and put the project out to bid," he said.
Capece said he plans to raise the bus garage issue Tuesday at his first meeting as a Board of Education member.
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lizzie
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07-03-09 12:34 AM
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Tired, I got 2 more years left. Probably the roughest 2 in many decades.
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TiredOfTax
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07-02-09 6:20 PM
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I think it is time that all school boards start to think about the amounts spent on everything. I am proud of lizzies comments recently, too bad you are retiring from the board. You are the only one that at least talks the talk we taxpayers want to hear. Times are tough and it is time to sharpen the pencils and put some brainpower into these decisions. It is important to get these "grants" changed so that they do not continue to pay for crap rather than actual education expenses.
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NoSenseAtAll
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07-02-09 5:05 PM
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what about Gloversville school bus garage at some $ 26 million..???
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lizzie
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07-02-09 4:23 PM
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renuzit, it's too bad the state doesn't fund actual educational items at the same percentages they fund the buildings and garages. I'm not saying certain building issues don't need addressing, but it would be nice to be able to get that kind of return on what involves actual learning. And, though it may (and I say may) be more cost effective to bid out your transportation, remember control over those driving buses and interacting with students is now out of the districts control. It isn't as easy to fire or even place on leave someone who isn't a district employee.
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longtimedriveinmovielover
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07-02-09 3:26 PM
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He is, do you find it a bit funny that the first item on his agenda may be something that he may still have a vested interest in?? I don't!!
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JoePhillip
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07-02-09 3:19 PM
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Is this Capece any relation to the family that owned the school bus company before it was bought out by Brown's?
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renuzit
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07-02-09 2:41 PM
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I am so glad that someone is thinking of saving the taxpayer's money. Infrastructure costs take away from the student's right to learn; new books, better teachers, computers....ect. There has been so much importance in buildings appearences and garages, rather than education. It makes me wonder about priorities for education. And there is such a misconception that if the state takes care of the cost it isn't going to cost the locals anything-SORRY,, but we all end up paying or going broke-All of us! What about solar panels and wind turbines for the school? That would be money better spent.
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lizzie
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07-02-09 2:34 PM
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They certainly can postpone that portion of their project. It's been done before. They have, I believe 10 years from the year of approval to do it, or not.
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