Capital Improvement Projects

The existing transportation facility was built around 1957 to accommodate the smaller, simpler school buses of that time. Our current facility does not meet the needs required of today’s modern, larger buses. The mechanics struggle to move around the buses as they are serviced, since the clearance between the bus and the wall is limited. 

Additionally, while the district does not immediately plan to switch to electric buses, the New York state law that mandates an all-electric fleet by 2035 is still in effect at this time. The existing bus garage is not able to service an electric bus. 

A newly constructed facility would provide our transportation staff with an adequate working environment, including a properly sized maintenance area, training area, break room and bathrooms. It is our hope that providing a facility that enables our staff to do their best work will help us recruit and retain professional drivers and mechanics – a continual problem for school districts statewide.

The district has refrained from making additional investments in the existing structure with the anticipation that all funds should be put towards a new facility.  

Financially and architecturally speaking, it does not make sense for the district to spend the funds necessary to fortify the structure, reconstruct the existing spaces, and increase the footprint on a site that is inadequately sized.

The existing bus garage would be demolished, with the expectation that the parking lot and bus loop at North Rose-Wolcott Elementary would be reconfigured to improve safety at pick-up and drop-off times and create additional parking spaces.

The driving range was originally developed using grant funds and for the benefit of physical education classes.  However, the grant ended years ago and the district no longer uses the range as an instructional space. 

Furthermore, the district has invested thousands in the range’s upkeep including replacing balls annually due to theft, keeping the ball machine in working order, and maintaining the irrigation system. There is also an on-going labor cost associated with operation of the driving range, including the mowing of the range and green, ball collection, and refilling the ball dispenser. 

Regardless of the vote, the Board of Education will need to determine whether the driving range remains open and/or if it is to be relocated.

The district plans to move fifth grade back to the North Rose-Wolcott Elementary building upon the completion of renovations to NRWE, including the first-floor classroom renovations outlined in the 2025 capital project proposal. NRWE would become a 3PK-5 building and Leavenworth Middle School would house grades 6-8.

Improvements to the athletic fields are not being voted on as part of this current proposal. There may be funds leftover for athletic field improvements in a future project.

The North Rose-Wolcott Board of Education passed a resolution approving the proposal for public vote at its October 20, 2025 meeting. The District is required to hold the vote 45 to 49 days after the BOE adopts a resolution for a proposed project.

Structuring our projects in this way is an economically sound approach to making much-needed improvements in our school buildings. The previous projects dealt mainly with asset preservation and meeting Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations, with some enhancements to create the modern learning environments our students deserve. This project mimics that approach by addressing much-needed maintenance, mechanical and safety updates while modernizing learning spaces and environments.

If voters approve this project, we would further develop specifics in conjunction with our design team, then work with the New York State Education Department to seek approval. The process from voter approval to the beginning of construction is expected to take approximately 18 to 22 months.