The Jamestown Public Schools Board of Education, during its Oct. 24 regular meeting, approved a no-tax impact, five-year, $126 million dollar Capital Improvements Project to be presented to community members for a vote on Tuesday, Dec. 12.

The project will have no local tax impact to district taxpayers as Jamestown Public Schools is reimbursed by the New York State at a rate of 98 percent for capital projects and has saved the remaining two percent needed to fund the local share over the last several fiscal years.

“The Board of Education has made the continual improvements of our buildings, facilities, and infrastructure a priority and has been diligent in accomplishing this work in the most cost-effective way possible for our community,” said JPS Board of Education President Paul Abbott. “Much like our previous vote two years ago, we have ensured that there is no local tax impact for our community, while ensuring that we continue to invest in the important goal of educating our students by providing the best environment possible for them to learn.”

This second five-year project is part of a 10-year plan to improve the district’s school buildings following a 2019 Building Condition Survey. The project will aim to accomplish similar goals to improvement work that is currently ongoing: modernizing classrooms and student spaces, improving safety and security, and maintaining the community’s investment in district school buildings.

The project aims to provide necessary improvements to each building across the district as well as continued technology upgrades that will provide important safety and security infrastructure. More information on the project can be found at jpsny.org/capitalproject.

“We are grateful for the board’s support in bringing another Capital Improvements Project to the community,” said Dr. Kevin Whitaker, JPS Superintendent. “This project is the second of three planned improvement projects that have been diligently planned for and will once again include upgrades to areas identified by the 2019 Building Condition Survey and will look to perform necessary capital work that will continue our trend of keeping students warm, safe, and dry. Much like your home, it is essential to keep the investment the community has made up to date. Utilizing capital funds from the state allows us to do these things with no impact on local taxes. We ask that the community help us by coming out and voting on Dec. 12.”

A public hearing on the Capital Improvement Project will take place on Tuesday, Dec. 5 at 5:45 p.m. in the Board Room of the Administration Building at 197 Martin Road. The vote for the Capital Improvement Project will take place for registered voters on Tuesday, Dec. 12 from noon to 9 p.m. at Lincoln Elementary School, Jefferson Middle School and Washington Middle School.

Community members with questions on registering to vote are encouraged to contact JPS District Clerk, Rhonda Frank, at 716-483-4420 or email rhonda.k.frank@jpsny.org.