Sep 19, 2010 By Carla Destefano 4 min read

BROWNSVILLE – In a heated vote this week, directors of Brownsville Area School Board approved a motion to construct a new elementary school complex at a cost to the district of more than $18 million. At the regular board meeting on Thursday, directors voted to move forward with the schematic design of the new building, which will ultimately result in the closure of three elementary schools in the district, as well as the administration building, which will be housed in the new complex to be built on a site next to the high school.

According to Director John Harvey, chairman of the building and grounds policy committee, the savings the district will reap from the four closed buildings will save the district money in the long run.

“This is a tool to get us to financial stability,” Harvey said.

The board was asked to decide between two options – the new building or designating more than $10 million for additions and renovations to Cox-Donahey Elementary School.

That motion failed 3-6 when directors Andy Assad, R.W. “Rocky” Brashear, Stella Broadwater, Andy Dorsey, Nena Kaminsky and Harvey voted no.

Directors Sandra Chan, Ron Dellarose and Francine Pavone voted in favor of the proposal.

The motion to build a new building then passed 5-4, with Chan, Assad, Dellarose, Dorsey and Harvey approving.

The $18 million project would mean the district would borrow $11 million, adding that to a leftover bond issued in 2005. The original $10 million bond was earmarked for an elementary center. Some of that money was used to get the stadium in compliance for the insurance company and some was paid to architects who did preliminary designs for a new elementary center.

According to business manager Edward Yorke, the district is left with $7.5 million of that bond.

Broadwater said she was against both motions, claiming the district cannot afford to accumulate more debt at this time.

“The taxpayers here are not in the position to borrow $11 million more now,” she said. “I feel we can wait on this.”

But Dorsey said the project can’t wait, noting that the district will save more than $1 million each year just by closing Cardale and Central elementary schools.

He said even more savings will be seen with the closure of Cox-Donahey and the administration building.

“More than anything else, we have $7 million that will depreciate to $5 million in the next year,” said Chan.

“We have buildings that need attention in one way or another. We needed to do something.”

Harvey told the board he has been working with companies for the $11 million bond.

Numbers from a PNC bond mean that the district would begin payments ranging from $367,000 in 2012 to $549,000 in 2020.

In 2021, the payment would jump to more than $1.6 million.

He said the drastic increase in the payment amount is indicative of the fact that the district’s current debt would then be paid off.

Those numbers would mean a one-time tax increase of .39 mills and a second year increase of .49 mills.

Yorke said it’s early in the project, and exact increases and numbers cannot be given at this time. But he said the district is currently working with companies to compare rates, which have been similar to the PNC rates.

Brownsville resident Dan Turosik told the board Thursday he is not in favor of adding to the existing debt, noting he’s not sure he can handle another tax increase.

“I’m all for education, but we are in the red,” he said.

“It’s always Mister Taxpayer who has to suffer, and I’m tired of it.”

Dellarose told the resident that no one wants to raise taxes, but the move to build is a step in the right direction for the district.

“We are trying to be responsible,” he said. “In the long run, this is going to help the district.”