OBSERVER Photos by Braden Carmen
Pictured is the current playground and open space behind Silver Creek Central Schools where a new multi-purpose turf field and playground would be installed if a capital project is approved by voters.
The most surprising part of all might be the financial implications of such a substantial project. A proposed $36.1 million project will require no tax increase to district taxpayers.
The proposal hits several key points of emphasis throughout the facilities across the District, both inside and out, spanning from updates to the playground, classrooms, auditorium, pool, and yes, even new turf athletic fields. However, thanks to a substantial contribution from the District’s well-maintained Capital Reserve fund, along with a favorable state building aid figure of 92% reimbursement, the additional impact is not just small to district taxpayers, it is nonexistent.
For several years, the District has been preparing for a substantial capital project. The district maintained a healthy Capital Reserve fund balance over recent years with the intention of reducing the impact to taxpayers once a major project was proposed. That has been accomplished with this project, as $5.7 million of the total project cost – 15.8% of the total cost — will be funded by the District’s Capital Reserve. The remaining $30.4 million of the $36.1 million project – 84.2% of the total cost — will be funded by State aid reimbursement.
“It is our responsibility to financially plan for this, and then do all of the right things to make sure that we capitalize on the money we have available to us when we have it available,” said Silver Creek Superintendent Dr. Katie Ralston. “The time is now.”
Pictured is a rendering of the proposed multi-sport athletic field as part of a capital project proposal set to be voted on in December.
Over the past several months, the Silver Creek Central School District has been narrowing its focus for a potential capital project through surveys of stakeholders in the community, as well as the school itself, including the students. The Capital Project Committee held several meetings over the past few months to craft a proposal that represents the feedback the District received, while also looking to stay within its means to not require a tax increase.
“This will significantly impact the educational experience for our students. I wholeheartedly believe that. The things within this project will make students excited about what’s happening here, and their voices were part of it,” Ralston said.
In back-to-back years, despite two different superintendents and two different leaders of the Business Office, the District has not increased taxes. Rising costs — such as last year’s $3.2 million increase to the budget – have been offset by conscious saving by the District over the years to build hefty reserve fund balances. The District also recently received a clean audit of last school year’s finances.
The proposed project includes main building indoor improvements totaling $23,949,877. Site improvements outside of the building account for $6,313,870. The District has also budgeted $5,728,515 for incidental expenses and soft costs, along with $107,738 for improvements to the bus garage.
“We worked really hard to build really healthy reserves, and we do it for this purpose,” Ralston said. “We are now at a point where we can very securely update not just our building, but the outside spaces, as well, to improve the overall experience for our students and our community.”
Features of the new playground that would be installed as part of the project include age appropriate equipment and a design that is compliant with ADA requirements and accessible to all students. Also in terms of safety, the surface beneath the playground would be rubberized, rather than the existing wood chips to better protect students and children of the community from injury when falling. The new playground would feature Silver Creek school colors and branding.
Regarding the multi-sport turf field, which Ralston has called a “super field”, the District is eyeing a space that incorporates baseball, softball, and soccer fields in its design. The field would be installed in the open area behind the school near the playground, which is often used as a practice space for the football team during the summer.
“Parents can be watching a sport while their kids are on the playground,” Ralston said.
The District did not include specifications for a football field as part of the turf design, instead opting to keep the current natural grass field in use with a recently renovated athletic track surrounding it. Ralston stated that the football field was not one of the major concerns of the District through the planning process.
“That was a result of the community survey that we did,” Ralston said. “… What came out very clearly in the survey was the desire for turf with attention on softball, baseball, and soccer.”
Instead, Ralston’s proclaimed “super field” would include new scoreboards and dugouts for baseball and softball, which would be able to play games simultaneously on opposite ends of the field with portable fences installed for each sport. Backstops and perimeter fencing would also be installed, while an emphasis on improved accessibility for spectators is stressed throughout the design.
In other athletics upgrades, locker rooms will be renovated and gymnasium upgrades will be made throughout the different buildings. The District’s pool will also be renovated and updated.
Another area of focus in the project is a major renovation of the auditorium, which was a point of emphasis in surveys to the staff, the student body, and the community.
“The auditorium is a very exciting update, and that’s one for the whole community,” Ralston said.
The District will also be modernizing classrooms throughout all three buildings to better accommodate the evolving needs of students. Many of the District’s classrooms are outdated and do not allow for flexibility within learning spaces. Grant funding will also assist with furniture purchases for the updated spaces.
“I’m very excited about the update to learning spaces,” Ralston said. “… to make it more conducive to 21st century learning, problem-based learning, and group work.”
Other aspects of the capital project proposal include restroom reconstruction, information technology and mechanical system upgrades, school branding enhancements, loading dock reconstruction and freight elevator improvements. Also included are lighting and rooftop unit upgrades, ceiling replacements, expanded security systems – including additional cameras, plumbing updates and ventilator replacements.
“We worked really, really hard to keep our scope broad for the whole project,” Ralston said. “You worry that something is going to get missed … but we really spent time going through every survey response, while also knowing that there are things we know about the buildings that the general community might not think about on a regular basis.”
The District has maintained a regular schedule of capital projects every five to 10 years, in addition to relatively minor annual projects of up to $100,000 of aid-eligible work through the State. Because of its consistent maintenance, the District’s facilities are not in a bad position even before this proposed project. If it were to be approved, another project will be targeted for 5-10 years from now, but there are no glaring needs going unaddressed or pushed off until later on with this proposal.
“The District has done a really, really nice job of staying ahead of what needs to be repaired when. That really did position us to be able to do a project like this,” Ralston said.
Should the project pass, the design phase of the project will begin this upcoming spring. A year from then, in the spring of 2026, the District anticipates approval from the State Education Department. Once approved by the State, the District would begin construction. An anticipated commencement date of construction is targeted for the summer of 2026, with construction set to conclude by the fall of 2027.
The architecture company for the proposed project is CPL: Architecture, Engineering, and Planning. The construction management company is Buffalo Construction Consultants. Ralston commended both companies for their guidance and assistance with the project.
“We have the right team,” Ralston said. “… I feel like with the community support, we will see the results of that teamwork. It will be awesome. I’m really excited.”
Prior to the vote, the District will be hosting a community conversation regarding the proposal on Wednesday, Dec. 4. A morning session begins at 10 a.m., and an evening session begins at 6 p.m., both of which will be in the Board Room located near the High School Lobby.
The official vote regarding the project will be on Tuesday, Dec. 17 from 1 p.m. until 9 p.m. in the High School Lobby. Absentee ballots will also be available ahead of time by contacting the District Clerk’s Office.