A $29.66 million capital project proposed by the Canajoharie Central School District to address maintenance needs and improve facilities without any anticipated tax impact will be decided by voters next week.

Polls will be open from noon to 8 p.m. Dec. 4 in the library at East Hill Elementary School.

Canajoharie Superintendent Nick Fitzgerald said the capital project plans were developed based on a building condition survey assessing facility needs across the district. The resulting proposal is aimed at improving safety, accessibility and energy efficiency.

“This project is mostly maintenance items to ensure our buildings are up and running properly,” Fitzgerald said.

The tax-neutral project would be funded by 91% state building aid, with the remainder covered by $2 million from the district’s roughly $3 million capital reserve fund.

The project would focus on renovations and improvements to aging facilities — the nearly 27- to 28-year-old high school and transportation facility and the more-than 70-year-old East Hill complex.

“It’s like your house after a certain amount of time,” Fitzgerald said. “Things have to be replaced if they start breaking down and they just start wearing out.”

Both school campuses would undergo updates to classrooms, cafeterias, locker rooms, athletic facilities, infrastructure and building systems. Similar repairs and upgrades would be made at the bus garage.

Fitzgerald said HVAC upgrades, roof work and replacements, and sidewalk and parking lot reconstructions proposed across the facilities account for approximately $18.2 million out of the total project cost.

Installation of an artificial turf field and a new stadium concession stand with outdoor restrooms proposed at the high school would enhance accessibility, reduce maintenance, extend use for athletics and physical education, promote community engagement and support booster club fundraising.

The district’s current reliance on portable bathrooms at the athletic field can be limiting, especially when there are large crowds in attendance, Fitzgerald said.

“We’re kind of the epicenter of our community,” Fitzgerald said. “People use our auditoriums, they use our classrooms, they use our pool, they use our fields … so this isn’t just for the 840 students and 175 faculty and staff. It’s for the entire community.”

The capital project plans would not be changed by the ongoing efforts by Canajoharie and Fort Plain Central School District officials to pursue a merger of the districts. Fitzgerald said the maintenance plans and upgrades are needed to keep the buildings operational whether Canajoharie remains independent or combines with Fort Plain.

Administrators would recommend the continued use of all buildings in both districts in the event a merger occurs. Following the defeat of an advisory referendum in March, the Canajoharie and Fort Plain Boards of Education this fall affirmed their intention to conduct another nonbinding straw vote in the future as part of the required process before a binding referendum can be held.

“The proposal for the merger is to keep the buildings open,” Fitzgerald said, noting that additional details related to merger efforts are expected to be released in the near future.

Furthermore, Fitzgerald said the capital project planning process typically takes several years before work actually proceeds, meaning time continues to pass while identified maintenance needs potentially worsen before ultimately being addressed. He indicated the proposed project would address current needs and should not be put off until a decision on the merger is reached.

If approved by voters, Fitzgerald said the capital project would subsequently be sent out for bid targeted to get underway in 2027 for anticipated completion by fall 2029.

“It’s a zero taxpayer impact, so it only helps our students, our faculty, staff and our community,” Fitzgerald said.

Additional details about the proposed capital project are available on the district website at canajoharieschools.org/o/ccsd/page/capital-project-2025.

Reach Ashley Onyon at aonyon@dailygazette.net.

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