District Under Budget with Referendum Funds, Has Many Future Options

Village parents and students would be hard-pressed not to notice that most of the schools look far more modern than they did just a few years ago, all thanks to the December of 2009 that has given the biggest face lift to the antiquated halls of the village's schools in decades.

The district cited the buildings' ages (the newest building was built in 1965), increased enrollment (about 500 students over 10 years), and inadequate space causing hallway learning, among the reasons for the referendum in 2009. While some of the projects of the referendum have met some resistance, largely the field renovations, few argued the buildings needed refurbishing. Additions to G.W., Willard, Hawes and Ridge will create 23 new classrooms to ease the classroom crunch.

With the school board approving a $10.8 million bid award for an addition and renovation at G.W. on Monday night, the bidding is almost over, signalling a possible defined end in sight to the construction. But perhaps not.

Assistant Superintendent of Business Angelo DeSimone said that though he "cannot calculate the current, exact under budget amount" because bidding is not yet final (it's possible a bidder could be disqualified and numbers altered, and professional advisors must review bids, he said), he reported the district has done well in bidding due to a competitive period in construction. The last official estimate before the G.W. bid award noted the district was $2.9 million under budget, and any unexpected revenue proceeds are held in reserve as contingency funds.

DeSimone explained what this means to taxpayers.

"At the close out of all the projects, the [school board] trustees have options to make a bond payment in lieu of taxes, to expand projects that are within the scope of the original referendum question from December 2009, or to ask the public (via referendum) to expand the scope of the original referendum question and compete a project that does not conform with the original 2009 referendum question," he said to Patch in an e-mail on Thursday.

The district's business administrator reported that the additions at Ridge and Hawes will are scheduled to be done for the first day of school in September of 2011, and renovations at Ridgewood High School should be finished at that time as well. The track at B.F. is "usable" but "not complete," DeSimone said. "It is expected that the final work will begin early in April and take two weeks to complete."

Work on G.W. is expected to start on April 4, the same night the school board will likely approve the final referendum bids for light censors and construction work at RHS.

"The concrete project most likely will start when school is out. If materials are available, the sensor project can start during the school year, after students are dismissed for the day," DeSimone said, adding that that there have been no official dates set because the bids have not been awarded and "kickoff" meetings with the winning firms are needed.

The additions at G.W. and Willard scheduled to finish in September of 2012, DeSimone said.