Auburn Schools: No-Tax-Impact Emergency Capital Project on May 20 Ballot

On May 20, 2025, Auburn Enlarged City School District residents will vote on a proposed $7,200,000.00 building project referendum. If approved, the project would address critical maintenance issues affecting the teaching and learning environment for both students and staff.

The Auburn Enlarged City School District is committed to providing a safe, healthy, and comfortable learning environment for students and staff. That is why the Board of Education introduced this emergency capital project for voter approval on May 20 — alongside the regular school budget and Board of Education candidate election.

This project will be fully funded — with no impact on your school taxes or this year's budget. The $7.2 million investment will come from the district’s capital reserve fund and unassigned fund balance, ensuring that the district can make these critical improvements without asking taxpayers for additional contributions.

Why is this project urgent?

Because it directly affects Auburn students and staff in four of the district’s elementary schools: Casey Park, Genesee, Herman, and Owasco. The current HVAC system design is defective, making it difficult to maintain proper classroom temperatures. That means students could face uncomfortably hot conditions in late spring and summer or chilly classrooms in the winter — neither of which is ideal for learning. Upgrading this system ensures a comfortable and productive learning environment for Auburn students and teachers year-round. The upgrades will also work towards addressing Governor Hochul’s approved legislation "Keeping Kids Safe," to protect students and teachers from extreme heat.

What initiated this emergency project?

The HVAC systems in each of the four aforementioned elementary buildings are not functioning properly, and as a result, the district is unable to meet applicable requirements for temperature ranges in the classrooms. The cause appears to be a defective design of the systems. The district has spent a great deal of time and effort working with the architect and their engineer to retrofit and “fix” the systems, unsuccessfully. As a result, the systems are unable to provide the required temperature range to allow students and staff to occupy the classrooms without extraordinary efforts by the district and staff. The Board of Education has an obligation under law and NYSED regulations to heat and cool the classrooms within a prescribed temperature range, in addition to the requirements regarding classroom temperature that the Board of Education has mandated for the district.

The defective design has caused some of the coils inside the ventilating units to freeze and burst, causing water damage and interruption in the use of classrooms. The district’s legal council has recommended to the Board of Education to take on the responsibility of this emergency project, repair the systems, and hold the project architect responsible for the costs under a theory of defective design of the systems. That is the action the district is proceeding with.

The work the district is doing is required to satisfy the Board’s obligations under the law, as well as the Board’s own requirements. Furthermore, and just as important, the systems must function sufficiently to provide a safe and comfortable classroom learning environment for students and staff.

After it was clear that the retrofit and repair of the mechanical systems were not successful, the district demanded compensation for the damages caused by the defective design. This demand was rejected by the architect and their engineer, and a counteroffer was made. The district has rejected the counteroffer and has agreed to mediation as a method to try to reach a mutually acceptable settlement with the other party without resorting to litigation. The mediation schedule is currently being set. If all parties involved cannot reach a mutual agreement on compensation for damages, the district will move forward with a lawsuit to recover its damages and rely on the courts to enforce the district’s rights and remedies.

This project is just a small part of the district’s continuing efforts to upgrade its buildings, which over the last few years, have included new secure main entrances at Casey Park, Genesee, Herman Avenue, and Owasco elementary schools.

Just over the last year, capital improvement projects have included roof work at Genesee Elementary, a new playground at Owasco Elementary, and a new drop-off area and parking lot at Seward Elementary that makes it much safer for students during arrival and dismissal.

At Auburn High School, the staff parking lot was repaved with sidewalk work. The drop-off area in front of the school was repaved, which also included new sidewalks. Inside the high school, more than 20 new air handling units that cool and heat the building were installed. New floor surfaces were installed in the library and outside the auditorium.

At Auburn Junior High School, a new secure entrance was put in with a vestibule, and the main office was renovated. The building’s boilers were taken apart, cleaned, and reassembled, plus air conditioning was installed in the building’s A section.
Later this spring, a new digital sign will be installed at Seward Elementary that will better promote school events and provide information to families. New doors will also be installed in the gymnasium as well.

Over this coming summer, the district’s capital improvement projects will include parking and front walkway work at Casey Park, parking lot work at Herman Avenue, and updates to the staff parking lot and drainage improvements at Owasco Elementary. At Genesee, new sidewalks will be put in outside the school on Garrow Street, and parking will be expanded to add up to six new spots. There will be minor work done in the Auburn Junior High parking lot, and the loading dock will be upgraded at the Harriet Tubman Administration Building.

The district is always planning ahead by continuously surveying our buildings to keep on top of health and safety in the district’s facilities, and that includes prioritizing stakeholder feedback. Upcoming building condition surveys will help the district develop a five-year plan for the best ways to utilize educational space. From there, the district will develop a referendum, gather feedback from stakeholder groups, and move forward with a capital improvement project vote in the 2027-2028 school year.

The Auburn Enlarged City School District continues to act in an effective and appropriate manner to resolve the issues outlined above, and your vote on May 20 can help to create a quality learning environment for the district’s students and staff. Your support makes a difference.

Thank you for your continued support of Auburn students and educators!

Auburn Enlarged City School District