OXFORD – Tomorrow, Oxford voters will decide whether or not to authorize the school district’s proposed $4.65 million Phase I capital project. Polls will be open from 1 to 9 p.m. on Thursday in the Oxford High School to allow district residents to cast their vote on the project, which will tackle a number of health, safety and code issues throughout the district.
According to Superintendent Randy Squier, none of the project’s cost will fall on local taxpayers.
“The funding for the proposed capital project will come entirely from the state,” explained Squier. “The district’s state building aid for capital projects and the state EXCEL grant aid will cover all costs.”
The superintendent expressed concern that some residents may be disconcerted by the exact wording of the referendum, which appears to imply that the funds for the project will be raised through the tax levy. This is not the case, he assured.
“The wording of the official resolution is to allow the school district to purchase insured bonds to finance the project,” Squier reported. “The state will not provide aid unless the bonds are insured.”
This was confirmed by Financial Advisor Ben Maslona, a representative from Fiscal Advisors, a Syracuse-based financial advising firm which specializes in school districts and local government.
“It is a zero percent tax impact,” Maslona reported to members of the district’s facility advisory committee on Sept. 1, explaining that while the project will be financed through a bond, one hundred percent of the cost will be funded by the New York State Education Department.
As proposed, the project will address issues at each of the district’s buildings, with the majority of work taking place at the Middle School and the remainder divided between the Primary and High School buildings.

Middle School
$3,475,574
The vast majority of the project’s total cost has been allocated to the 79-year old Middle School building, where work will focus on renovating and refurbishing the historic structure. Many of the historical features of the building’s exterior will be refurbished, including as the columns, cupola and entry doors. The school’s roof, gutters, tie-ins and flashing will all be either repaired or replaced.
Interior work will include a thorough renovation of the auditorium, including asbestos abatement, seating rehabilitation, curtain replacement and increased handicap accessibility. The adjoining gymnasium will be overhauled as well. The space’s floor, ceiling, bleachers and wall pads will all be replaced and a roll-down divider curtain will be installed.
Work will be completed throughout the building to bring the structure up to current fire codes and to meet handicap accessibility requirements. In addition, the school’s mechanical and plumbing systems will all be upgraded. Electrical work will include improvements to interior and exterior lighting, emergency lighting and security, as well as providing additional data drops and power to classrooms.
Also included in the scope of work is installation of additional flood gates, which were not funded through FEMA.

Primary School
$666,164
A total of 14 items have been identified in work needed at the Primary School. Line items pertaining to the building’s exterior include painting, replacing aggregate panels, windows, weather stripping and the colonnade ceiling.
Other work will include increasing accessibility to the roof, relocating exterior signage, installing window screens, replacing lighting and installing fire-rated doors throughout the building.

High School
$508,262
Work at the High School will focus on bringing the building into compliance with current codes, upgrading the mechanical system, increasing security and addressing other identified issues.
As part of the project, acoustical panels will be installed in the cafeteria and music rooms and the building’s exterior canopy, which has been identified as a safety risk to students, will be redesigned. In addition, a portion of the existing exterior wall by the gym and auditorium will be reconstructed and fire dampers will be installed, as will additional exterior lighting and security cameras.

Residents had the opportunity to learn more about the proposed project during two public forums held earlier this month, as well as through a special edition of the Blackhawk Bulletin which was mailed to households within the district.
A comprehensive list of items included in the scope of work for the project is available on the district’s website, www.oxac.org. A link to the more than 40 documents pertaining to the proposed capital project is located on the home page.
If the majority of votes are cast in favor of the proposal, the district will begin the next phase in the process, that of gaining approval from New York State Education Department.
If not, it will be back to the drawing board once more for the district which have already been working for over two years to finalize a detailed scope of work for the project.
Polls will be open from 1 to 9 p.m. tomorrow at the Oxford High School. In order to be eligible to vote in the referendum, a person must be a U.S. citizen of at least 18 years of age, who has resided in the district for at least 30 days prior to the vote.