Residents in two Cayuga County school districts will decide on school project proposals this week, with neither expected to increase taxes.
The first vote, on Tuesday, involves the Cato-Meridian Central School District’s energy performance contract for $2.4 million in upgrades to various systems in the district. The proposal asks whether district residents want the state to pay an additional 10 percent in aid toward the cost of the improvements. That extra 10 percent, or $240,000, can be used as an incentive through the state if voters approve it, with the state being obligated to honor that vote. The school district does not need a vote for the upgrades themselves to go forward.
The project includes improvements to insulation and lighting and heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems in the district’s elementary school, middle school and high school. The improvements are estimated to save about $144,000 annually for the district, with the savings monitored by the state Education Department. The initiative, which is not expected to increase local taxes, is meant to help the district run school buildings more efficiently while reducing the facilities’ collective carbon footprint, according to a press release.
