Highland moves forward with Capital Projects

By Stacia Donaldson
Posted 10/9/19

After receiving all the necessary approvals, the Highland Central School District is moving forward with its Capital Budget Projects.

District voters approved the $8 million dollar project plan …

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Highland moves forward with Capital Projects

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After receiving all the necessary approvals, the Highland Central School District is moving forward with its Capital Budget Projects.

District voters approved the $8 million dollar project plan back in 2018. Numerous large projects are scheduled for all three Highland Central Schools. All Highland schools will receive upgrades to their exterior and interior lightings with the installation of energy efficient LED lighting.

Starting in Fall of 2020, Highland students will be welcomed to Highland High School by a newly designed entrance, parking area and sign. Changes to the current bus loop will provide a safer path for students entering the high school. Also at Highland High School, the library will receive a new roof and skylights. Additionally, an all-terrain practice area will be installed on the site of the tennis courts. At Highland Elementary, upgrades to the HVAC system will allow more fresh air to enter the building, and provide more even heating.

The posting of all bids related to Capital Budget projects will take place in November. Superintendent Bongiovi hopes to collect all interested bids by December, with the winning bids awarded in January 2020. After the bidding process is complete, the district will evaluate any remaining funds that can be put towards the completion alternate projects in the district.

All Capital Budget projects that will not disrupt the day-to-day operations of the schools will begin in May 2020.

Donation Received for 3D Printers
Thanks to the generous donation of $50,000 from State Assemblyman Jonathan G. Jacobson, Highland students will soon be exploring the wonders of 3D printing. Highland will use the monetary gift to create 3D printing stations for its STEM classrooms throughout the district. STEM educators have already started training so that these printers, allowing for 3D printing to be added to lesson plans promptly. Superintendent Thomas Bongiovi publicly thanked Assemblyman Jacobson for his generous donation and for his continued support of the Highland Central School District.

Budget Season Starts in Three Months
It’s never too early to start planning for the 2020/21 school budget. The Budget Development Calendar was presented to the Board of Education, outlining the important dates and deadlines in the upcoming school budget process. The first presentation on budget development will take place at the January 14 2020 Highland Central School District Board of Education meeting. The 2020/21 school budget vote will take place on May 19, 2020. A copy of the Budget Development Calendar can be found on the district website.

The next meeting of the Highland Central School District Board of Education will take place on October 15, 2019. This meeting will take place at Highland Elementary School to accommodate the Board of Education district tour. The regular Board of Education meeting will start at 7 p.m.