Capital Reserve Proposition Includes Projects in Six Buildings

Huntington School Board members have approved a capital reserve fund proposition and placed it on the May 19 ballot. If the proposal is approved by residents it will fund an estimated $2,115,154 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 needed 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 won’t be a tax rate impact if the funds are released. The district will also be eligible for reimbursement by the state for a substantial percentage of final costs.

The 14 projects that will be on the May 19 ballot include:

1. $18,732 to install fire-rated partitions and doors at Flower Hill Primary School;

2. $18,732 to install fire-rated partitions and doors at Washington Primary School;

3. $10,459 to install fire alarm additions at Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School;

4. $374,642 to construct amphitheater at Woodhull Intermediate School;

5. $55,890 to install fire alarm additions at Finley Middle School;

6. $16,443 to replace a non-rated interior window at Finley Middle School;

7. $87,250 to install enclosure for second floor stairwell at Finley Middle School;

8. $8,694 to repair partition cracks at Finley Middle School;

9. $110,814 to repair exterior wall cracks at Huntington High School;

10. $160,908 to repair interior bearing wall cracks at Huntington High School;

11. $281,438 to install interior basement door stair enclosures (three locations) at Huntington High School;

12. $175,000 to install interior-rated walls and non-fire-rated wall partitions at Huntington High School;

13. $696,192 to renovate restrooms at Huntington High School; and

14. $99,960 to install electrical subpanels at Huntington High School; and

Should the proposition pass on May 19, 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.