At the last Herricks board meeting the Herricks Long Range Planning Committee submitted the plan it has been working on since February of '06. The task force was established by the Herricks School Board simultaneously with the approval of an Energy Performance program to be submitted to the New York State Education Department in the amount of $3.9 million.

At the end of the presentation it was the consensus of the committee, not do anything right now that would incur further debt to the district, but rather to wait until the spring or fall of next year before moving ahead and in that way a good chunk of the bond indebtedness will be paid off.

The board gave no decision at this time as to whether or not to accept the recommendations of the task force but there will be further discussion at the next board meeting, to be held on April 24 at 7:15 p.m. at the Herricks Community Center, 999 Herricks Road, New Hyde Park.

At the time of inception of the Long Range Planning Committee, members of the Herricks board indicated that the role of the task force was to develop a comprehensive long-range plan to address high priority facility needs not addressed through the Energy Performance program. The board asked that the task force prepare a plan which contained (a) recommended projects and the estimated cost of each and (b) an analysis of different funding options, the pros and cons of each and a recommendation regarding the preferred option.

The board also requested that the task force use the following guidelines in assessing capital needs:

• The most pressing needs and all safety and health-related projects are to be given the highest priority.

• Projects should maintain the long-term viability and structural integrity of district facilities.

• Projects should be of the highest quality in order to ensure maximum life expectancy.

• Projects should minimize annual energy and maintenance costs.

• Projects should enhance the quality of the Herricks Educational experience.

• Projects should address the issues contained in the building condition survey.

Shortly after the board established the task force, the New York State legislature approved a new program known as EXCEL to assist school district with the funding of major capital projects. In light of this the start of the task force was delayed until it could be determined whether EXCEL would survive the state political battles, how much EXCEL aid would be allocated for Herricks and what the New York State guidelines would be for use of these funds. In addition, the start of the task force was delayed until the district received preliminary indication from New York State regarding the likelihood that projects included in the District's Energy Performance program would be approved.

The task force began its deliberations shortly after the start of the '06-'07 school year. The group met several times between September 2006 and March 2007. ExteB building Inventory prepared by the firm of McDonald and Monterose in the spring of 2006 for the Herricks Public Schools in accordance with the New York State laws and regulations.

Members of the task force also reviewed financing options. The group reviewed the district's current level of debt and the schedule of future principal and interest payments as well as offsetting state aid payments. The task force also discussed the structural changes made by the state legislature several years ago regarding state aid on capital projects and ramifications of those changes for districts such as Herricks. Different options for financing capital projects were considered in light of these factors.

The task force noted that substantial progress has been made in bringing the district's facilities up to par. Noted were:

• The completion of additional classrooms at all five schools completed ahead of schedule and below projected cost during the 2001/02 school year.

• The renovation of science labs at the middle school and high school.

• The replacement of substandard roof areas at the high school, Searingtown, Herricks Center and part of Denton, new roof coverings for parts of the Community Center and resealing the middle school roof to prolong its life 10 to 15 years.

• Reconstruction of the high school driveway through an innovative joint project with the Town of North Hempstead and a grant from then-New York State Senator Michael Balboni.

• Renovation of 99 Shelter Rock by district staff.

• Numerous in-house projects such as hallway ceilings and relighting.

The task force reviewed the projects included in the Energy Performance Project, submitted for approval to the New York State Education Department. If the program is approved in its entirety, $4 million of the projects identified in the Five Year Capital Facilities Plan and Building Inventory (prepared by McDonald and Monterose) will be addressed. The task force noted that all of these projects address critical needs, especially the remaining substandard roof sections at Denton Avenue School.

For planning purposes the members of the task force assumed that (a) New York State Education Department would approve all or almost all of the projects submitted, (b) the District would receive formal approval by May, 2007, (c) as required by law, the cost of the projects would be offset by savings in energy usage and that there would therefore be no net impact on the district's budget and (d) most projects would be completed during the summer and early fall of 2007. Once the projects produce sufficient savings in reduced energy costs to pay for themselves, all future savings would accrue to the benefit of the district general fund. The task force also noted that substandard facilities, such as the remaining roof sections at Denton, require significant time and resources on the part of Herricks maintenance staff. The costs involved are substantial but hidden. After examining all aspects of the district's facilities needs, the task force recommended the following: a. Those projects which can be addressed by district staff, primarily ceiling and lighting projects, be done by the district staff through the general fund budget. This requires an additional general fund budget allocation of $75,000 per year for three years. While projects done in this manner would not receive state aid, the lost state aid is more than offset by the savings in construction costs and the fact that in-house projects of this nature would not require either an architect or state education department approval. B, The task force also recommends that the district fund a limited number of projects through the capital reserve portion of the general fund budget. These should address immediate needs such as certain roof areas at the community center. These should total no more than $100,000 to $150, 000 per year.

Ideally, capital needs that are anticipated should be funded through a school district's annual general fund budget. Although they involve significant costs, normal capital projects should be part of a district's maintenance program. Roofs, boilers, windows, etc. eventually need to be replaced. Funding for these projects can and should be set aside in the annual district budget.

In reviewing the district's facilities needs, the task force notes, however, that there are a substantial number of projects which have been deferred over a long period of time. Many of these are sufficiently critical, as in the case of the boiler at 99 Shelter Rock Road, which failed in October 2006, that addressing them through the annual general fund budget is impartial. It would require either providing higher allocation than the general fund budget can sustain or stretching funding out over a longer period of time than the condition of the facilities can withstand.

Task force members identified many projects that will require attention within the foreseeable future. All are pressing and all can be justified. However, the task force concluded that the size of the capital program should be tightly limited, the scope sharply focused and implementation delayed until some existing bond issues were paid off.

Specifically, the task force recommends capital projects of the following parameters:

Scope of Work

After extensive discussion, the task force identified the most critical projects from those listed in the Five Year Capital Facilities Plan and Building Inventory, prepared by McDonald and Monterose or identified by members of the task force. Most of these projects fall in one of the following six areas:

• windows

• heating and ventilation including boilers and duckwork

• electrical-increased capacity, fire alarms and safety

• roof and building repairs

• renovation of locker rooms

• renovation of the track

Details of the specific projects and the estimated costs of those projects may be obtained in the Herricks superintendent's office in the Herricks Community Center, 999 Herricks Road, New Hyde Park.

In light of the nature of the projects recommended and the extensive analysis already conducted on the projects, the task force recommended that a very limited amount be set aside for contingency expense. While many capital projects of this nature set aside 10 to 15 percent of the total cost, the task force believes that costs for the specific identified projects can be tightly controlled. Acoordingly, the task force recommends that a contingency budget be set at only $500,000.

In summary:

Direct Costs:

Identified Projects $6,769,110

Contingency 500,000

$7, 269, 110

Indirect Costs

Legal, architectural, engineering,

and bond counsel 530,000

$7, 799, 110

The task force examined a variety of financing options. In light of the scope of the work and the fact that the state has changed the building aid formula so that aid payments are not spread out over a 15 to 20 year period of time, long-term recommends that should the board and the community approve, a capitol program in the amount of $7, 799,110 be initiated. To offset the cost of these to the Herricks community, the task force recommends that the EXCEL grant given Herricks be applied to the project, along with the state aid. Together, EXCEL and state aid would offset 43.24 percent of the project.

Cost: $7, 799, 110

Less EXCEL 1,300, 000

Less State Aid 2, 079, 715

Net cost to

Herricks $4, 419, 395

The timing of this issue is critical. Although many of the capital needs identified are very pressing, no new bond issue should be floated until after some prior bond issues are retired during the 2008-09 school year. Since new issues impact a budget roughly 18 months after a vote, no vote should take place before fall of '07 or spring of '08. If the initiation of the project could be delayed until that time there would then be no net increase in the cost of bond interest and principal payments from 2008-08 to 2009-10.

Members of the committee include: Debbie Beer, Superintendent Dr. Jack Bierwirth, Carol Boccia, Jim Brown, School Board Trustees Richard Buckley and David Goodsell, Richard Cavallaro, Assistant Superintendent Helen Costigan and Deirdre Hayes, Vincent Famularo, Merhi Fryzel, Vincent Haughwout, Cheryl Lenowitz, Paula Okin, all school principals and Tammy Smiley.

The next Herricks School Board meeting will be held on April 24 at 7:15 p.m. At that time the board will vote on the BOCES budget and trustees and will also hold a regular meeting at the Herricks Community Center, 999 Herricks Road, New Hyde Park.