Silver Creek Unveils $36 Million Offer | News, Sports, Vacancies

Most surprising may be the financial implications of such a significant project. The proposed $36.1 million project would not require a tax increase for district taxpayers.

The proposal addresses several key areas of the district’s facilities, both inside and out, including upgrades to the playground, classrooms, auditorium, pool and, yes, even new turf sports fields. However, with a significant contribution from the county’s well-maintained capital reserve fund, as well as a favorable state construction aid rate of 92% of reimbursement, the incremental impact is not just small for county taxpayers, it is non-existent.

For several years, the area has been preparing for a major capital project. In recent years, the county has maintained a healthy capital reserve fund balance with the intention of reducing the impact on taxpayers once a major project is proposed. This project achieved this because $5.7 million of the total project cost – 15.8% of the total cost – will be funded from the County’s Capital Reserve. The remaining $30.4 million of the $36.1 million project (84.2% of the total cost) will be funded by state aid reimbursements.

“We have a responsibility to financially plan for this and then do everything right to make sure we get value for the money we have when we have it.” said Silver Creek Superintendent Dr. Kathy Ralston. “The time has come.”

Pictured is a proposed multi-use sports field as part of a capital project proposal set to be voted on in December.

Over the past few months, the Silver Creek Central School District has focused on the potential capital project through interviews with community stakeholders as well as the school itself, including students. The capital project committee has met several times over the past few months to develop a proposal that reflects feedback the county has received while also striving to stay within its means and not require a tax increase.

“This will have a significant impact on the educational experience of our students. I truly believe this. What’s happening in this project will make students excited about what’s happening here, and their voices were part of it.” Ralston said.

For several years, despite two different superintendents and two different heads of the Business Office, the district did not increase taxes. Rising costs, such as a $3.2 million budget increase last year, have been offset by the district’s conscious savings over the years to build up huge reserve fund balances. The district also recently received a clean audit of its finances for the past school year.

The proposed project includes interior improvements to the main building totaling $23,949,877. Landscaping outside the building will cost $6,313,870. The district also budgeted $5,728,515 for contingencies and additional costs and $107,738 for bus garage improvements.

“We’ve worked really hard to build really healthy reserves, and we’re doing it for that purpose.” Ralston said. “We are now at a point where we can very safely update not only our building, but also the outside spaces to improve the overall experience for our students and our community.”

Features of the new playground that will be installed as part of the project include age-appropriate equipment as well as an ADA-compliant design that is accessible to all students. Additionally, from a safety perspective, the surface underneath the playground will be rubberized rather than the existing wood chips to better protect students and children from fall injuries. The new playground will feature Silver Creek School’s colors and branding.

As for the multi-sport turf, which Ralston called “superfield”The county is eyeing the space, which would include baseball, softball and soccer fields in its design. The field will be installed in an open area behind the school next to the playground, which is often used as a training ground for the football team in the summer.

“Parents can watch sports while their kids are on the playground.” Ralston said.

The district did not include soccer field specifications in the turf design, instead choosing to maintain the current natural grass field and the recently renovated athletic track around it. Ralston said the soccer field was not one of the district’s main concerns during the planning process.

“This is the result of a community survey we conducted,” Ralston said. “…What came out very clearly in the survey was a desire for turf with an emphasis on softball, baseball and soccer.”

Instead, Ralston proclaimed “superfield” will include new scoreboards and fields for baseball and softball that will allow simultaneous play on opposite ends of the field with portable fencing installed for each sport. Stops and perimeter fencing will also be installed, with a design focus on improving spectator accessibility.

In other athletics upgrades, locker rooms will be renovated and gymnasium upgrades will be made in various buildings. The county’s pool will also be renovated and updated.

Another focus of the project is a major renovation of the auditorium, which has been a major focus in surveys of staff, students and the community.

“Audience is a very exciting update and is for the entire community.” Ralston said.

The district will also be upgrading classrooms in all three buildings to better meet the growing needs of students. Many of the district’s classrooms are outdated and do not allow for flexible learning spaces. Grant funding will also help with the purchase of furniture for the updated premises.

“I am very pleased with the renovation of learning spaces” Ralston said. “…to make it more conducive to 21st century learning, problem-based learning and group work.”

Other aspects of the capital project proposal include restroom renovations, information technology and mechanical systems upgrades, school branding improvements, loading dock renovations and freight elevator upgrades. Also included are lighting and roof unit upgrades, ceiling replacements, enhanced security systems including additional cameras, plumbing upgrades and fan replacements.

“We worked very, very hard to keep the scope of the whole project,” Ralston said. “You worry that something will be missed… but we really took the time to look at every survey response, knowing that there are things we know about buildings that the public may not think about on a regular basis.”

The county maintains a regular schedule of capital projects every five to ten years, in addition to relatively small annual projects costing up to $100,000 that qualify for assistance through the state. Thanks to regular maintenance, the area’s facilities were in good condition even before the proposed project was implemented. If it is approved, another project will be planned in 5-10 years, but there are no obvious needs in this proposal that would be ignored or pushed to a later date.

“The county has done a very, very good job of figuring out what needs to be repaired and when. This really allowed us to make a project like this happen.” Ralston said.

If the project is approved, the design phase will begin this coming spring. A year from now, in spring 2026, the district is awaiting approval from the state Department of Education. Once approved by the state, construction will begin in the county. The expected start date for construction is summer 2026, with completion scheduled for fall 2027.

The architectural firm for the proposed project is CPL: Architecture, Engineering and Planning. The construction management company is Buffalo Construction Consultants. Ralston thanked both companies for their leadership and assistance in the project.

“We have the right team” Ralston said. “…I feel that with the support of the community we will see the results of this teamwork. It will be amazing. I’m very excited.”

Before the vote, the county will hold public comment on the proposal on Wednesday, December 4th. The morning session will begin at 10 a.m. and the evening session will begin at 6 p.m., both sessions will be held in the meeting room located near the high school lobby.

The official vote on the project will take place on Tuesday, December 17th from 1:00 pm to 9:00 pm in the high school lobby. Absentee ballots will also be available in advance by contacting the county clerk’s office.