At its March 29, 2021 Board of Education meeting, the Galway CSD Board passed a resolution to put forth a Capital Improvement Project for voter consideration. The proposed Capital Project will address items in the 2020 Building Condition Survey (BCS) that districts are required to complete every five years. District architects, CSArch, categorized all of the recommendations in the BCS as an immediate need and called for them to be addressed in Year 1. 

“Although we recently completed a capital improvement project that touched nearly every corner of the school, there are items that are urgently needed at the Bus Garage,” said Superintendent Brita Donovan. 

“Our most recent annual inspection from the Department of Environmental Conservation found 29 violations due in large part to aging underground fuel tanks and fueling island,” said Galway Business Administrator Jacqlene McAllister, who added, “we can’t get insurance on the underground tanks right now because they are over 20 years old.” 

The $3.1 million Capital Improvement Project will include: 

•  Replace underground gas and diesel tanks at bus garage (installed in 2000) with above ground storage tanks

•  Replace fuel dispensing system at bus garage (installed in 2000) with a modern system that will help with fuel use and efficiency

•  Replace underground fuel oil heating tanks at bus garage (installed in 2000) with above ground storage tanks

•  Remediate soil as necessary

•  Replace two vehicle lifts at bus garage

•  Repair concrete floors in service bays and provide epoxy floor in service bays and parts room

•  Reconstruct pavement with heavy duty asphalt at various locations

•  Replace the oil/water separator that is too small and not functioning well

These improvements will assist Galway’s excellent Mechanics Scott Holbrook and Denis Ryder in their efforts to keep our fleet, drivers, and students safe. To put into perspective what Mr. Holbrook and Mr. Ryder accomplish using aging and cumbersome lifts – each year the New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) conducts at least two safety inspections on every school bus in each school's fleet. DOT tracks the results of these inspections, and at the conclusion of each year, they publish a carrier profile for each carrier. Galway Central School is rated as Preferred Carrier. Last year, our fleet of 36 units scored 100% on 77 out of 78 inspections this past year. We ended the year with a 98.72% pass rate for our fleet’s DOT inspections. 

Getting students to school safely takes commitment and effort from many professionals. At the foundation of it all is having a fleet of safe buses and a safe facility in which to work on them. 

To maximize State Aid on the proposed Capital Project, the district has to allot a certain percentage of the project to interior work in the school. The proposed 2021 Capital Project will contain minor renovations to the following areas that were not touched in the 2016 Capital Project including: 

•  Restrooms near the auditorium

•  Restrooms near offices

•  Flooring near the entrance to the auditorium and gymnasium

The project will also:

•  Replace an underground fuel tank in front of the Junior/Senior High School (installed in 1988)

•  Replace the pavilion at the track that collapsed in the winter of 2020. The pavilion will be the same size, but it may shift location because plans call for the addition of two separate restrooms with three toilets and three sinks in each. The pavilion may also include a sink and storage for future concessions, along with a custodial closet.  

•  Replace the storage shed near the track with a larger building that can accommodate storage for athletic equipment

Funding

The full project cost will be $3.1 million. The district will utilize $100,000 from the Capital Reserve, which results in $3 million bonded over 15 years. For aidable expenses, New York State Building Aid will reimburse 78.7% of the proposed Capital Improvement Project. After subtracting retiring debt and funds from the Capital Reserve, along with NYS Building Aid, the net local share will be approximately $65,000/year. For example, this will result in a 0.28% increase, which is equivalent to $8.48 annually on a home assessed at $100,000 in the Town of Galway. 

Timetable if the proposed Capital Improvement Project is Approved

Design and Construction Documents – Fall 2021

Approval by the NYS Education Department – Winter 2021-22

Bidding Process – Winter 2022

Construction – Spring/Summer 2022

Residents of the Galway Central School District will have a chance to learn more about the proposed Capital Improvement Project during the following information sessions: 

Tuesday, April 27, 2021 Virtual