Dear Wayland-Cohocton District Community Members:

The Board of Education is pleased to announce a voter referendum on a Capital Project that we expect will guide our students into the future. As New York State changes its graduation requirements and program focus, this plan provides a foundation for the learning space for those programs. As importantly, it also brings a plan to voters that is financially responsible by not increasing your tax bill. While addressing the future academic needs of our students, it will also manage many of the routine maintenance issues that are a necessary part of maintaining our facilities. These items include roofing, security, HVAC, parking, lighting, roadways and parking areas. 

Wayland-Cohocton has a long tradition of financial stability and sound planning and as a result, is able to bring this project to the community with no additional tax increase. New York State Building Aid will provide 92.9% of the cost of the project and the remaining 7.8% will come from the District’s Capital Reserve Fund. State Building Aid can only be used for capital projects, it cannot be utilized for the general operating expenses associated with the daily functions of school programs. If the District does not take advantage of the funding, it simply goes away. As a result, many of the regular maintenance items, the same items we all provide in our own homes, will need to be funded through the annual school budget, potentially impacting tax rates. 

This project features new learning spaces for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math), agriculture, and a new greenhouse. It addresses community and student needs with a community resource and wellness space, elementary cafeteria expansion, sidewalk upgrades, lighting for baseball and softball fields as well as track resurfacing. We are continuing our careful attention to building maintenance including doors, fuel station, windows, safety and HVAC. 

On the pages of this newsletter, you will find a brief description of the plan and diagrams demonstrating the areas where the work is to be completed. There is additional information on the school’s website and the Board will host a Public Information Meeting on Thursday, December 12th at 6 pm in the Large Group Instruction Room. We welcome everyone to attend and hear the presentation and have their questions answered. The project vote will be held on Tuesday, December 17th from 10 am to 8 pm in the Large Group Instruction Room (LGI) for all qualified voters. Qualified voters are 18 years of age, a citizen of the United States and a resident of the district for 30 days preceding the vote. 

We hope you will read through the information included here and join us for the meeting on December 12th at 6 pm. The Board believes this is a sound project that addresses student program needs with facilities management and provides a project with ZERO tax increase for our district residents, who work hard for their money. 

We look forward to seeing you! If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Dr. Feinman at (585) 213-4303. 

Sincerely, 
The Board of Education