• Budgets: past and present
• Master Plan
  
• Referendum
  

            Since August 2003 the District has, through the efforts of staff, community, board members and professional consultants, worked diligently to develop a Master Plan that addresses projected long-range student enrollments and identified programmatic and related infrastructure needs.

            On December 18, 2007 the Board of Education adopted a resolution authorizing that a referendum be held on March 11, 2008 for the purpose of seeking voter approval to expend an estimated maximum of $107,137,282 to address several goals of the District’s Master Plan as well as select prioritized capital projects as contained in the District’s Five-Year Plan. Based upon this total funding authorization it is estimated, using current state aid formulas, that approximately $58 million of this cost would be offset by our receipt of state building aid.

            Of the total funding authorization being sought, it is estimated that a maximum of $88,447,752 would be used to renovate and expand our two junior high schools as we look to adopt a consistent middle school program that would accommodate maximum enrollments of 1,600 students per school in a 6-8 grade-level configuration. As a result of eliminating sixth grade centers, feeder patterns could be established to insure that families would know in advance the planned K-5, 6-8 and 9-12 schools of attendance in a student’s K-12 career. The balance of the expenditure authorization, up to an estimated maximum of $18,689,530, would be used to address prioritized capital construction projects at each of our other District schools as contained in the District’s Five-Year Plan.

            This [district's Master Plan Vote] pamphlet contains information regarding the proposition that will be put before our community on March 11, 2008. Prior to this vote date, we will be conducting a series of informational meetings to present in detail the specifics related to the proposition. We invite you to consult the District’s web site at www.wappingersschools.org for updated referendum information and for you to share your thoughts with members of the Board of Education via e-mail at: WCSD.Board@wappingersschools.org

            Please cast an informed vote on March 11.

Sincerely,

Richard A. Powell, Superintendent of Schools
Deborah Kuter, President, Board of Education