PHOENIX, NY – Phoenix Central School District officials recently joined representatives from King & King Architects to celebrate the completion of capital project renovations that transformed classrooms, facilities and grounds.
The original $38.2 million project was approved by district voters in 2017 and provided updated classrooms, a new athletic complex, a new auditorium and 21st century learning environments.
“Some of the project highlights include significant renovations at John C. Birdlebough High School, where some of the classrooms had not received significant improvements since 1955,” said Karl Seckner, the district’s Assistant Superintendent of Finance & Educational Services. “Work at the high school included classroom upgrades to improve lighting and wiring; overhauling the auditorium; building a 2,000 square-foot addition to relocate the band and chorus rooms; upgrading technology; replacing windows and the roof; building a new wrestling room and athletic storage area; and creating a synthetic turf stadium, complete with new lighting.”
In addition to the initial work, the district utilized $2.6 million in voter-approved capital reserve funds to cover other sitework and interior renovations at each building. That smaller-scale project was approved in 2019 and provided improved parent drop-off and pick-up systems at all three schools, a new playground at MAM, a renovated elevator at JCB and classroom floor replacement.
All the work was done at no additional cost to the taxpayers, as both projects were funded through a combination of reserves, state aid and retiring debt.
“Thanks to careful fiscal planning, we were able to complete these much-need upgrades at zero tax impact,” said Superintendent Christopher Byrne. “This project has been transformative in every sense of the word. Phoenix schools now have some of the best state-of-the art classrooms and facilities in CNY. I would personally like to thank the entire Phoenix CSD community for their support of these projects.”
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For that amount of money they could build a whole new school. They need a new sport complex like they need a hole in the head. Wouldn’t it be better to find a way to Reduce the school tax instead?