Fayetteville (WSYR-TV) -- Voters in the Fayetteville-Manlius School District have approved a $10.5 million capital project.
More than 700 people voted in favor of the project, while less than 200 people voted against it.
The project will upgrade the roofing at some schools, update the heating system at Mott Road Elementary School, as well as include some classroom updates.
The district hopes to begin work on the project in June of next year, with a completion date of September 2015.
The projects will require no new tax dollars. School district officials say state building aid will pay for 79.4 percent of the costs. The remainder will come from the district’s capital reserve fund.
Below is a breakdown of the 2013 Facilities Project courtesy of the school district –
Roofing: $5,187,000 - Eagle Hill Middle School: 84,200 square feet – $1,660,000;
- Enders Road: 11,983 square feet – $192,000;
- F-M High School: 132,000 square feet – $2,530,000; and
- Mott Road Elementary School: 50,530 square feet – $805,000.
In 2013, the warranties expire on each section of roof slated to be replaced. Some of the areas are already experiencing water leaks. Rubber roofing will be used instead of the existing tar and stone material on the building roofs. Very few companies still use the tar and stone roofing material currently on F-M’s buildings because it is more expensive than rubber roofing. Working with hot tar materials is hazardous, and it is time consuming to install. It is also harder to find leaks when they occur.
Mott Road Heating System: $2,100,000 The building’s steam heating system will be replaced with a more efficient hot water system that will ultimately lower the district’s utility bills. Because the current system is antiquated, the district has a difficult time locating replacement parts to purchase when a repair is necessary. The 45-year-old steam boilers will also be replaced with hot water boilers. New ventilators will be installed throughout the building to circulate air. Compared to the existing units, they will increase the airflow and the amount of fresh air circulated through the building.
Mott Road Classroom Updates: $450,000 Classroom sinks need to be replaced to be in compliance with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act. Currently, students in wheelchairs would have a difficult time reaching the sink faucets because of cabinetry underneath the sinks. As the sinks are replaced, the cabinetry surrounding them will be replaced and updated. Shelving adjacent to the new ventilators that will be installed in the heating project will also need to be replaced as the old ventilators are removed.
Bleachers: $217,000 There often is a seating shortage for home sporting events at the high school athletic stadium. Home football games typically draw between 1,500 to 2,000 people. There is seating for 800. Not enough seating results in safety issues related to crowding on the grassy hills around the bleachers. Current seating capacity on the home side will double to 1,600 seats. Two sections will be added onto each end of the existing bleachers. The existing bleachers and ramps will remain, and there will be no changes to the existing press box.
Related Costs and Fees: $1,750,600 (per state guidelines) The state Department of Education recommends that school districts budget 20 percent of a project’s total cost for expenses such as architectural, engineering and legal fees, surveys, asbestos testing and monitoring, insurance and utilities.
Construction Contingency: $795,400 The district budgeted 10 percent of the construction costs to pay for any unforeseen expenses that may result as contractors complete the individual projects.
Alternate Project – High School Electrical Service: $800,000 If the bids for the work above come in low enough, and there is enough money left in the proposal budget, the district would like to use the remaining project funds to replace the electrical service at F-M High School, which is about 50 years old. There is a concern about being able to get replacement parts for the system because of its age.
