Bedford School’s $31.8 Capital Bond Vote Passes With Ease

The vote passed with 1,197 votes in favor and 628 against.

"After three years of looking at building conditions, community engagement, public opinion research, citizens committees, and Board presentations, we pared this plan to the point that it was a match to district needs and community expectations,” Superintendent Jere Hochman said. “It feels good to be able to move forward."

The capital plan is a collection of major building and infrastructural fixes at six of the district's seven schools.

For a complete breakdown of Tuesday's voting, go here.

The proposed work includes:

• At West Patent Elementary School, a new roof with a modest solar array to reduce energy costs, windows, exterior surfaces, boilers, ceilings and lighting. Work also will be done to improve water drainage and eliminate seepage issues that plague the school. It also will receive improvements to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and some interior renovations.
• At the middle school, the original 1965 science labs will be gutted and modernized. Additional safety measures will be implemented in each of the three house lobbies and stairwells. Cafeteria renovations will seek to reduce overcrowding, congestion and noise and also serve as flexible teaching space before and after lunch. Windows and roof sections that have reached the end of their useful life will be replaced and elevator installations and bathroom renovations will make the building ADA compliant.
• Older roofs at Fox Lane High School, Bedford Hills, Bedford Village and Pound Ridge elementary schools are slated for replacement. The Fox Lane campus also would see the replacement of old and deteriorating underground piping that would eliminate frequent water main breaks that cause disruption of schools.
• The Fox Lane stadium turf and track have been deemed unsafe for official track meets so replacement work has been included in the plan though efforts to seek community donations to help defray costs also are being undertaken.

To learn more about the referendum, go here, where you’ll be directed to data, financials and informational videos, detailing the district's plans and a bond calculator to determine how much individual homeowners can expect to pay.

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