Improvement project voted down in Bloomfield, approved in Wayland-Cohocton

BLOOMFIELD, N.Y. — Bloomfield residents voted down the school district’s $35 million capital improvement plan on Tuesday night.

The final vote was 238 “yes” to 354 “no”. The project sought to replace the Bloomfield Central School District’s bus garage with a new transportation center near the middle and high school campus.

The project also aimed to fund student programs, including a career and technical education learning space for agricultural education. The district’s website says the project would have been mostly funded through state aid.

Bloomfield CSD released this statement about the vote:

“Please know that the District and our Facilities Committee will be reviewing the feedback from the Exit Survey and will be working to determine our next steps. As always, we will continue to keep the community informed as we move forward. We would like to thank all those who have worked so hard over the past two years to put this project together. We would also like to thank everyone who took the time to attend meetings, ask questions and learn about this project.”

“I do not want anyone to view the outcome of the vote as a reflection of how the community feels about our school district. I believe with all my heart that this community greatly values and appreciates the work our district does. Our students are so fortunate to be in a district where they are cared for so deeply. This vote is reflective of the challenges we face in trying to balance providing great facilities and a great education with what the community believes it can afford. As we move forward, I will work to find a balance that better meets the expectations of our community.”  

Meanwhile, voters have recently approved capital improvement projects in several other local school districts. Voters on Tuesday approved the Wayland-Cohocton Central School District’s $32 million project.

The project will renovate the district’s Innovation Center for STEM programs, its art and agriculture rooms, and its field house. The project will also improve the district’s baseball field, HVAC system, and fuel storage for transportation. The district said the plan won’t impact taxes and over 92% of the funding would come from state building aid.

Voters have also approved capital improvement projects in the school districts of Greece, Spenceport, Brockport, East Irondequoit, West Irondequoit, Brighton, Pavilion, and Phelps-Clifton Springs. You can see the results of those votes here.

If your school district has an upcoming improvement project vote, email webmaster@whec.com to let us know about it.