Broadalbin-Perth Board of Education adopts $37.8 million capital project proposal

Members of the Broadalbin-Perth Board of Education adopted a $37,845,000 capital project proposal during their regular monthly meeting, Monday, March 18. If approved by voters during a May 21 referendum, the project would address health and safety concerns and infrastructure needs; expand classroom space for the district’s construction and skilled trades program; and renovate and improve existing learning spaces.

District officials are projecting that state building aid would pay for approximately 81.3% of the project and the remaining 18.7% percent would be the local share. Part of the local share would be paid using $500,000 in existing capital reserve funds. Much of the remaining local share would be paid by property taxes already being levied for debt that will be retiring during the 2026-27 school year. A taxpayer with a home with a full market value of $100,000 and no tax exemptions (such as STAR) could expect to see a one-time tax increase of no more than $33 on their September 2026 tax bills.

Highlights of the proposed project include:

• Replacing certain doors, windows, and sections of roofing that are past their useful life at both campuses.
• Adding sidewalks and crosswalks in areas with heavy pedestrian traffic at both campuses to improve safety.
• Adding new all-weather surfaces at both playgrounds at Broadalbin-Perth Elementary School to improve safety and lower maintenance costs.
• Expanding classroom space for the district’s construction and skilled trades program at Broadalbin-Perth Jr./Sr. High School. (See architect's rendering, above.)
• Renovating the Margaret Robin Blowers Auditorium, including new seating, new carpet in the aisles, and new aisle lighting in both the main auditorium and the balcony, as well as new acoustic panels and LED theatrical lighting.
• Installing artificial turf in the infield and adding lighting at the baseball and softball fields; the lighting would also serve the tennis/pickleball and outdoor basketball courts at the high school.
• Reconstructing the track at Patriot Field.

The district is preparing a publication about the proposal that will be mailed to all households. Information will also be posted to the district website, www.bpcsd.org. Members of the community are invited to learn more about the proposal during a public forum starting at 7 p.m. Monday, May 13 in the high school lecture hall. Residents are invited to submit questions about the capital project proposal to Director of Communications Michele Kelley at kelleym@bpcsd.org.