Albion school district eyes December for public vote on capital project topping $30 million
Board of Education will decide on scope of project on Oct. 26 with 3 options ranging from $33.4 million to $47.3 million
Photos by Tom Rivers: This slide presented at the Albion Board of Education meeting on Monday shows a conceptual rendering of a new greenhouse and renovated ag shop at the high school. Rick Recckio II, the district’s assistant superintendent for finance, is at lower right in the photo.
ALBION – The school district plans to put a capital project to a public referendum in mid-December, with the project ranging from $33.4 million to $47.3 million.
The Board of Education will meet at 6 p.m. on Oct. 26 to determine the scope of the project. It could go to a public vote on either Dec. 15 or Dec. 17.
During Monday’s board meeting, four representatives from Campus Construction Management Group went over options for the project after meeting with district stakeholders in recent months. The Campus Construction team included Jason Benfante, vice president; Kevin Donoghue, executive vice president; Kory Hunsinger, principal; Michael Ferreri, senior project manager.
Campus Construction assisted Albion with the recent $26.7 million capital project that was approved by voters December 2021, with construction starting in 2023. Part of that project included the new turf fields for the football field, softball and soccer. That project also included work on all three schools, as well as the bus garage.
The new project also includes work at all three school buildings as well as the bus garage. The price varies depending on the scope of work in the elementary school.
School districts in New York State are required to do a Building Condition Survey every five years for all normally occupied student buildings. The survey identified areas for a new capital project with state aid covering the majority of the expense. The local share from Albion already would be covered in the district’s capital reserve fund, Board of Education member John Kast said during Monday’s meeting.
“Throughout our meetings with stakeholders, these are the things that rose to top,” said Kory Hunsinger, a principal with Campus Construction.
The new project includes some elements that were considered for the previous project, but were removed, Hunsinger said.
The project could include the following:
High School
This slide was presented during the Board of Education meeting and shows the concept of turning the art foyer at the high school int a fitness center.
- Renovate Ag, IT and wood shop – $6.1 million
- Greenhouse addition – $1 million
- Renovate LGI – $3 million
- Renovate counseling suite – $1.2 million
- Renovate art foyer into fitness center – $1.6 million
- Digital athletics/arts wall of fame – $200,000
- Replace areas of damaged roofing – $100,000
- Remediate sewer odor in athletics vestibule – $100,000
Middle School
The auditorium in the middle school would be renovated while preserving its Art Deco character.
- Renovate auditorium, including seating, lighting, rigging and sound – $7.5 million
- Replace areas of damaged roofing – $600,000
- Replace exterior window sills – $300,000
- Provide security film on at-grade windows – $200,000
Elementary School
The scope of work for new ventilation systems, cabinets and windows would vary in the elementary school, ranging from $6.2 million to $20.1 million
- Replace east playground at $2 million
- Replace west playground surfacing at $800,000
- Renovate main entrance courtyard at $300,000, with $200,000 to add snow melt
- Provide security film on at-grade windows at $200,000
- Replace classroom ventilation system, adjacent cabinets and windows; replace classroom flooring, ceilings, caseworks, lighting and upgrade classroom toilet rooms wings A, B, D, G, I, J. This option would be $20.1 million.
Limiting the work to wings A, B, I, and J would reduce the cost to an estimated $12.1 million for Option 2.
Option 3 would be $6.2 million to replace classroom ventilation system, adjacent cabinets and windows in wings A, B, D, G, I and J.
Transportation building
- Replace trench drain in storage and service bays at $200,000
- Replace areas of damaged roofing, $30,000
If the project is approved by voters, Campus Construction would need to finalize the design and get State Department of Education approval. Once State Ed gives the final OK for the project, bid specifications would be prepared with bids likely to be sought in the winter of 2028.
Construction could start in the summer of 2028, and it could take three summers to get all the work done, Campus Construction officials told the Board of Education.
The cost estimates represent about a 21 percent increase from the current construction prices. Campus Construction is estimating a 7 percent price increase in construction each year. If the work is done in two to three years, the company is estimating a 21 percent escalation in construction costs.
