- By Mark S. Lewis, Ed.D, Superintendent of the Lansing Central School District
- Around Town
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Mark S. LewisOver the past two years, Lansing school and community members engaged in a thorough review of the current district physical plant with the goal of developing a comprehensive list of renovation and instructional space needs for consideration by the district’s voters. The review tallied a list of items in excess of $70 million. By early 2006 that list was cut to approximately $38 million.
That figure, however, served to be well above what the Lansing community could or would support. This became clear at a February 2006 public meeting during which community members exhorted the board of education to complete a second review process with the goal of presenting a proposal for voter consideration that contained only those renovation and expansion items that it felt were absolutely necessary to address building deterioration, upgrade essential infrastructure components, and address classroom space needs.
Consequently, a follow-up process commenced in March 2006, with the board of education approving the creation of a facilities/community awareness committee, open to all interested Lansing community members, and charged with again examining the total list of potential construction items and reshaping it into what was deemed a ‘right-sized’ capital project portfolio. Committee membership at the start of this new initiative exceeded forty. One community member, Marc Stammer, agreed to facilitate a process wherein priorities were established and each facility item assessed in terms of its relative cost and impact. For the next six months, he guided the group through a structure wherein divergent viewpoints were entertained and different solutions to specific renovation and space needs considered via a weighting system designed to measure their relative cost/benefit values.
The committee met through the summer and into September. Viewpoints were divergent and the ensuing discussion/debate was at times contentious, which contributed to sizeable committee attrition by August. Howeve, by September, a project scope was crafted that, although it did not earn the support of the overall committee, did result in reducing the $38 million list to $20.8 million.
Committee activity was reported in a 98-page portfolio presented to the board of education on September 14, 2006. The portfolio included all committee member feedback, both positive and negative, in order to demonstrate the process’s balance and transparency. On November 30, 2006, the board of education accepted the portfolio in total, including the recommendation for the placement of two propositions, one main and one supplemental, before the voters. The board added relocation of the district office to the base proposal and authorized a public referendum to take place on February 6, 2007.
Since November 30th, members of the board of education, community awareness group, administration, and design team have sought to inform the public to as great an extent as possible of the specific components of the two propositions under consideration. Myriad forms of media have been employed. Group presentations and two public hearings were also conducted. The goal of the awareness campaign has been to present the propositions in an objective manner and to encourage all eligible voters to exercise their right to vote on February 6th.
The two-year sojourn has now come to an end and it is up to you, members of the voting public, to consider the merits of each proposition. The board of education has extended the poll hours (now 7am to 9pm) to accommodate the busy schedules of the voting public. In addition, absentee ballot applications are still available, but you must come to the district office no later than 4pm on February 5th, complete the application, cast your vote, seal it in the envelope provided, and hand it to the district clerk. It will be opened and tallied along with the rest of the votes on Tuesday, February 6th.
I hope that you take the time to vote on Tuesday. Its importance to the future of the Lansing school and community cannot be overstated.
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