Schools

Lakeland School District Approves BOCES Capital Project Plan; To Pay $1.7 Million

The Lakeland School District has voted in favor of the $19 million Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES capital projects plan. Its share of the cost is $1.7 million.

's school board members have voted in favor of the $19 million  capital projects plan. 

The  include $2.95 million to fix a therapeutic pool, $8.7 million for the heating-ventilation-air conditioning (HVAC) work across seven buildings and $5.19 million for roof repairs. Lakeland's share of the cost is $1.7 million. 

The Lakeland school district voted in favor of the plan last week and to pay for its share, the district will use $900,000, which is returned from a special BOCES retirement account, as well as annual BOCES aid generated by the payments, Lakeland Superintendent of Schools Dr. George Stone said.

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"We have many Lakeland students who attend school there and we want them to have safe and healthy environments in which to learn," Stone said. "Fortunately, our business office was able to find a way to successfully provide our share of the cost without having to borrow or spread it out over a long period of time."

School officials said they expect to pay off the total amount in three to four years without borrowing any money.

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"Lakeland recognizes the need to complete renovations on the BOCES facilities," Stone said. 

Over the last few months, BOCES officials have been making presentations to school districts in the area who use their services. , BOCES Superindentdent Dr. James Langlois stressed the “no-choice” nature of the repairs.

Lakeland is one of 18 districts that jointly own the sprawling bi-county educational facility in Yorktown and one rejection is enough to scuttle the project. Since BOCES is not a taxing entity, it needs the approval of all 18 school boards before the project can proceed.

board members have not yet voted on the project. Tom Higgins, BOCES assistant superintendent for administration, when he spoke about the projects and Yorktown school board members expressed concerns over the costs and sought more answers. 

Besides Lakeland and Yorktown, member districts of Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES are Bedford, Brewster, Briarcliff, Carmel, Chappaqua, Croton-Harmon, Garrison, Haldane, Hendrick Hudson, Katonah-Lewisboro, Lakeland, Mahopac, North Salem, Ossining, Putnam Valley and Somers.


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