In district elections on Tuesday, March 21, voters approved a $120 million bond known as the 2019 Capital Project, a long-term plan to improve facilities around the district. But the question remains: what exactly is going to change around the school? For one, the bond funds keycard access systems that are being brought to all ICSD schools under the state’s Smart Schools Bond Act. Only teachers will be equipped with these swipe cards. Building doors will be locked during class periods and will unlock automatically during passing periods. In the wake of school shootings like those in Parkland, Florida, and Santa Fe, Texas, increasing school safety is certainly important, but when implementing these new measures, district officials should be conscious of the environment that they foster and should strive to ensure that students do not feel overly restricted, as this would counteract the goal of making students feel safer.
According to the proposal, other changes include moving the main office to Activities, while the current main office and adjacent areas (Building J) “will be renovated into a wellness suite with guidance, nursing, and psychologist offices, as well as a flexible classroom area.” In addition, York Lecture Hall will be reconfigured to make the top half a separate, divided classroom area with a sound system that can be connected to the presentation area if needed. However, given the fact that York is mainly used for large-scale presentations or events, such as Social Justice Week, and is not used every day by large numbers of students, one wonders if it is worth reconfiguring it. It currently serves its purpose as a large lecture hall, and as the only room of its type at IHS, it seems more reasonable to leave it as it is.
More strikingly, the project plans to close the breezeway between J-building and the entrance to the main gym building, thereby completely enclosing the Quad. The goal of this change is to decrease unauthorized access to the Quad, although that does not seem to be a huge issue at the moment. What this will do, however, is make it harder for students to reach Activities and the Attendance Office, as well as widely used rooms such as the choir room and the orchestra room. In addition, it will slow down the flow of students after the school day ends, making it harder for students to reach the parking lot and bus lines. While keeping the Quad secure seems like a fine goal, there does not seem to be any particular impetus behind this change, and especially during lunch periods, when some students enjoy sitting outside in the Quad, this change seems more inconvenient than anything else.
The type of bond approved does not technically increase property taxes, which are the source of revenue for schools; however, the tax levy is estimated to increase by 3.02 percent. Regarding the matter, the district reported, “More than half of the cost would be reimbursed through New York State Building Aid. The District would pay for the remaining amount by making ‘debt service’ payments.” “Debt service” payments make up an allotted 7 percent of the district budget. The district said that the Capital Project would not increase these debt payments and that new debt would only be incurred as old debt is paid off. This plan would keep the debt structure stable.
In general, improvements in infrastructure and school facilities are a positive thing, and aspects of the plan, including improving the track and field facilities, will certainly benefit students. Upgraded facilities do create a better learning environment and make the school a nicer place to be. It is admirable that the Board of Education is thinking seriously about student safety, especially as issues of gun violence in schools move into the national conversation. In addition, teachers should be trained for active shooter scenarios, beyond simply having students cram into small spaces. Issues that intersect with gun violence, such as mental health, should also be addressed by the suggested developments. However, making widely used parts of the school, such as the Quad and Activities, less accessible may serve only to limit students’ sense of freedom. Because the project has already been approved, all that remains to be seen is the way in which the ideas are implemented. The district has the opportunity to create positive infrastructure developments, but they must also ensure that students do not feel overly restricted when doing simple things like moving between classes.