When voters in the Honeoye Falls-Lima Central School District go to the polls on May 17, they will be looking at a proposed school budget of $48,505,508, voting on three school board candidates for three available seats, a propostion to purchase school busses and a proposition for Phase II of the Long Range Master Facilities Plan capital project.
The proposed budget increase for the 2016-2017 school year is 2.28 percent. The proposed tax levy increase is 0.97 percent and the proposed tax rate increase is also 0.97 percent. What the proposal means for an owner of a $200,000 home with Basic Star exemption is a projected tax increase of $38.93.
The budget includes maintaining balanced class sizes at Lima Primary School and continued school-wide STEAM emphasis that incorporates science, technology, engineering, arts and math into integrated projects. It also includes continued development of the outdoor classroom, which has been funded through grants, donations and the Lima PTA. At Manor School, balanced class sizes have also been retained with school-wide emphasis on consistent and engaging reading resources and the continuance of the Lucy Calkins writing program. The budget will allow the Middle School to develop a technology and software purchase plan that is aligned to student need and instructional requests and provides continued focus on Positive Behavioral Intervention and Support approaches to promote a positive school climate. It also includes additional stipends for the Middle School drama show/musical. The proposal would allow the high school to continue the Link Crew program which provides a welcoming atmosphere for incoming freshmen and increase the opportunity for students to benefit from online and blended learning opportunities in more content areas. The proposal also contains the purchase of additional Orff musical instruments and additional math assistance for students at the Middle School. It also includes $100,000 for a mini-renovation project to replace the original lockers in the high school’s swimming area. That proposed project will generate about $76,000 in additional building aid to the district.
One thing not in the budget is the establishment of a bowling program as part of the district’s athletic offerings.
Projected tax rates for the major towns in the district are $23.51 per $1,000 of assessed value in Mendon, $23.99 per $1,000 of assessed value in Rush, $25.13 per $1,000 of assessed value in Lima and $26.74 per $1,000 of assessed value in West Bloomfield.
The proposition for the Phase II Capital Project has a proposed budget of $29,986,084 with a proposed use of district capital reserves of $3,566,842. The project is a followup to the Phase I capital project which was approved by voters in 2009 and completed in fall 2013. Among the work to be done in this capital project is exterior brick reconstruction at Lima Primary, renovation of the school’s main office to allow for better security and the addition of an elevator to the school’s second floor. Work at the Manor School would include renovation and expansion of the building’s art rooms, renovation to create flexible learning space/laboratory, replacing the playground and renovating the counseling and nurse’s area. At the Middle School, project work would include renovation of science classrooms and lab space, adding flexible learning space and improving the sound quality and floor treatment in the District Auditorium. Extensive work would be accomplished at the high school including the creation of a new clearly marked main entrance/main office area at the school that would address security concerns, renovate and expand art space, add flexible learning spaces, renovate the cafeteria, brick reconstruction of the old part of the school, removal of the old bus/maintenance garage and designing separate areas for bus and other vehicle traffic and parking lot reconstruction. The physical education/athletics portion of the proposed work would include replacement of the tennis courts to create a seven-court complex and construction of a new multi-purpose turf field near the Middle School which would combine a baseball/softball field and full-size rectangle field. The Transportation Building would be enlarged to accommodate not just the Transportation Department but the Buildings and Grounds Department as well, providing a single location to service all the district’s vehicles and create the ability to service longer-frame buses. It would also essentially turn the building into the district’s Operations Center.
State building aid would cover 76.5 percent of the project. Between the state aid and the use of reserves, local taxes would cover the rest with an anticipated increase of 37 cents over the current tax rates. If the proposed work were to be funded through the general operating budget of the district, homeowners would pay much more.
The bus proposition would allow the district to spend up to $496,000 for the purchase of school busses.
Voters will also be asked to vote for three candidates running for the three seats on the school board. Candidates are incumbents Gary Stottler and Stephanie Templeton and newcomer David Francis. Incumbent Jody Allison is not seeking re-election.
