Yorktown School Board Rejects BOCES Capital Projects Plan

's school board members rejected the $19 million  capital projects plan during their meeting this week. 

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.

Board president Jackie Carbone said and board members have provided BOCES with their feedback. However, there were still two main questions regarding the project – whether the project could be broken up into smaller pieces (to which BOCES had said no) and if there would be a project manager for the improvement projects (one hasn't been hired).  

In a roll call for vote, each member voted "no" to the plan. Vice president Karen Corrado and president Jackie Carbone explained their positions. 

"This is something I think that we need to support down the road, but because they have not met our requirements I'm going to vote no," Corrado said.

Carbone agreed.

"I would very much like to support this," she said. "But without knowing if there's going to be a construction manager and without some of the other questions, we've asked to be answered, answered I have to give it a "no" vote at this point."

Over the last few months, BOCES officials have been making presentations to school districts in the area who use their services.

Yorktown 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.

The Yorktown school district was the fifth district to reject BOCES' capital improvement plan. 

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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