The Nyack School District Bond: Why You Should Vote "No"

While we all want proper funding for our schools, and the best possible academic and athletic facilities, we need practical goals in a tight budgetary climate.

It was only last year the Nyack School Board, in the face of a budgetary crunch and the introduction of the state's tax levy cap, needed to consider the "Princeton Plan," which calls for separate schools for K-1st, 2nd-3rd, and 4th-5th grades. The estimated cost savings with the Princeton Plan is $700,000 - $1 million. By grouping grades, the plan allows larger class sizes and elimination of teachers. It was billed as a critically needed cost-saving measure but was abandoned due to public opposition. The school system also found it necessary to restructure the administration to save roughly $350,000.

Now, one year later we are being presented with a new school bond for $26.4 million. One sales pitch touts it as "budget neutral" since current bonds are being retired. While it may technically be budget neutral, the reality translation: we will enjoy our education budget crunch for many more years—in a budgetary neutral way, of course.

One of the major expenditures of the bond is the installation of artificial turf and associated stadium complex. There have been heated exchanges pro and con concerning whether artificial turf is really needed and what type of artificial surface should be implemented were we to approve "turf".

A personal "field" trip was made to see firsthand the standard recycled tire crumb rubber and the alternative "Geo Turf". Without question, the Geo Turf (at Riverdale, NY) with its organic coconut shell and cork infill seemed far superior. It was soft and cool on a warm sunny day. It was odorless, comfortable, and springy underfoot. By contrast, the field with the old-tire crumb rubber infill (Eastchester) was hot with a very noticeable old-tire odor as soon as you stepped on it. The old-tire crumbs popped up as you brushed a hand or foot over the surface. It was a not a pleasant playing field.

Despite its superior qualities, there have been no assurances that the Board would choose Geo Turf over the smelly, old-tire rubber fill. In fact, the Board would not specify any spending priorities when asked.
 
Next, there is the question of the scope of the project. While most agree that the main playing field needs better maintenance and that artificial turf could remedy overuse issues, do we really need to replace ALL the current grass playing fields at Nyack High School with artificial turf? That is what this current bond calls for— 3 1/2 fields of artificial turf: the main football field in the lower area, the soccer field, lacross/field hockey field, and a baseball field that overlaps the lacross/hockey field in the upper area. The upper playing fields are in quite good shape, with the exception of a few minor imperfections. It makes no sense to turf this.
 
That’s an awful lot of turf. When you add in the 2,000 seat stadium, snack bar, lights and an additional grass baseball field requiring clear-cutting an acre of additional school property, the cost approaches $8 million—29% of the entire bond! It will cost a minimum of about $225,000/year—$200,000 to service the debt and $25,000 for maintenance—just for the turf. And the warranty is only for 8 years, at which time it would need resurfacing, for another $1.7 million. What makes the overall price tag more palatable is a possible 37% matching fund by New York State. Why not take advantage of that matching fund for more realistic needs and initiatives to reduce school overhead such as energy usage instead of fantastic luxuries that guarantee a large debt for years?
 
The scale and scope of the athletic facilities is more akin to a municipal recreation center than for a single high school. Given the questionable economy and last year’s school district budgetary crisis, we have to ask, is this really the time to embark on such an extravagant project? What's going to happen at the next self-imposed budget crunch? Teacher layoffs? Eliminate music and art? Princeton Plan? Larger class sizes? School closings?
 
We can all appreciate the time and effort put into developing a bond, though this one lacked sufficient community review. We should not be put in a position where extravagant items are bundled into a bond with vital necessities and be forced to accept all or nothing. To argue that a vote against the bond is a vote against the schools is to hold school necessities hostage to fantastic luxury items. Either turning Nyack High school's athletic fields into a multi-turfed facility to rival major municipal recreation areas is a sound, rational budget proposal or it isn't. Let the public decide this on its own merits.
 
Unfortunately, as it now stands, the Nyack School District Bond is without any guarantee about the type of artificial turf, dictates an excessive amount of turf, has no stated priorities of spending, and has attached non-essential luxuries into a must-have spending proposal.
 
Considering all this, we need to vote "No" on October 29 and defeat this particular plan. Give us a scaled back version with just one Geo Turf field, a list of some important priorities, some cost saving/energy efficient items (LED lights, efficient boilers, perhaps solar panels) and it will be a much more palatable initiative. We should seek more community input and define a more responsible bond in the spring.

Nyack residents, parents, and neighbors,
Andrew Ploski
James Ross