The Carle Place School District will ask voters to take nearly $3 million out of its capital reserve and use the funding to help fund HVAC projects that were approved by the community in 2024.
A $10 million bond resolution for HVAC upgrades at the Carle Place Middle and High School was approved by the community in October 2024.
Joanna DeMartino, the district’s deputy superintendent for finance, operations and technology, said at the Board of Education meeting on Thursday, Jan. 22, that due to an increase in construction costs since the bond vote, the project is currently over budget.
“Competitive bids for our HVAC bond projects that were approved by the voters on Oct. 24, 2024, have come in higher than the authorized budget, so in order to complete the work, we need the voters to authorize the use of additional funds from our capital reserve,” she said.
DeMartino said the vote will have no additional tax impact on the community.
If the bond is approved, the district would take a total of $2,950,00 from five different capital reserve funds. The district would take $136,923 from its capital reserve fund created in 2008, $197,657 from its capital reserve fund created in 2013, $218,273 from its capital reserve fund created in 2017, $1,678,822 from its capital reserve fund created in 2020 and $718,325 from its capital reserve fund created in 2023.
DeMartino said that restrictions on placing a new transformer on the property were the main cause of the delay with the project.
During public comment, one resident asked if the district has a contingency plan if the bond does not pass.
“We’ll have to go back to the drawing board,” DeMartino said. “We’re not going to be able to do all of the work that we said we would then.”
She also noted that the district has over $6 million in capital reserves as of Thursday’s meeting.
DeMartino said the district wanted the vote to be as soon as possible to allow for construction to continue without any lapses and without the possibility of needing more bids.
The vote will take place on Thursday, March 19, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Multi-Purpose Room of Carle Place High School.
