Watkins Glen Central School District is asking voters to approve a $25.8 million renovation project that officials say would carry no additional tax increase, as the district maintains its facilities for a student population substantially smaller than it served three decades ago.
The proposal would improve heating and cooling, security, accessibility, classrooms, playgrounds and aging infrastructure. Residents will vote Dec. 15, following a community presentation Nov. 18.
The financial and demographic context is significant: Watkins Glen’s K-12 enrollment has declined 40.1% over 30 years, while approximately four in 10 students are classified as economically disadvantaged.
The district is returning to voters after they rejected a $35.8 million capital proposal in December 2024 by a 430-174 vote. That earlier plan included a projected tax increase.
Superintendent Kai D’Alleva and Board of Education President Keith Caslin describe the new proposal as a more focused response to facility needs and community feedback.
Fewer students, with substantial economic need
The Shoreline Compass enrollment database, using state Education Department records, lists 859 Watkins Glen students in kindergarten through 12th grade for 2025-26.
That compares with 1,435 in 1995-96, a decline of 576 students, or 40.1%.
The decline has continued more recently. Enrollment fell from 1,076 in 2015-16 to 859 in 2025-26, a 20.2% reduction. Over the most recent five-year comparison, enrollment dropped from 908 to 859, or 5.4%.
These are historical enrollment figures, not projections of future attendance. The latest count reflects enrollment as of Oct. 1, 2025.
The economic disadvantage data adds another dimension. It identifies 369 Watkins Glen students as economically disadvantaged in 2025-26, representing 40.6% of enrollment.
That measure includes prekindergarten, producing a total enrollment denominator of 909. The enrollment trend figures exclude prekindergarten to maintain consistent comparisons across years.
The economic disadvantage rate was 38.5% in 2011-12 and 55.7% in 2018-19. The latest figure is therefore slightly above the earlier benchmark but substantially below the 2018-19 level. The number of students classified as economically disadvantaged also fell from 473 in 2011-12 to 369.
NYSED’s classification is linked to participation in economic assistance programs, including qualifying meal assistance and other forms of household support.
Together, the figures show a district serving fewer students while continuing to educate a substantial population with economic needs. They provide context for weighing the scale and affordability of facility investments, rather than determining whether any individual improvement is necessary.
Proposal focuses on existing buildings and grounds
The district’s capital project proposal emphasizes preserving and improving its existing facilities.
At the elementary school, the plan would provide air conditioning throughout occupied spaces, including classrooms, the gym and cafeteria, while excluding the field house.
Other work includes enlarging the secure entrance vestibule, renovating classroom bathrooms for prekindergarten through second grade and providing an accessible toilet room for each of those grades.
The proposal also includes replacement wood flooring and wall padding in the field house, masonry repairs, walkway improvements and mechanical, plumbing, kitchen and ventilation work.
Playground improvements would include equipment, resilient surfacing, drainage, sidewalks and fencing. Land would also be developed for outdoor education and recreation.
At the high school, the district proposes reconfiguring the Student Services suite to improve privacy for students and parents and provide better meeting spaces.
Other improvements include classroom infrastructure, accessible single-use bathrooms, audiovisual systems and an accessible auditorium entrance.
Heating and cooling work would address equipment serving the art room, pool and outdoor bathrooms. The project also includes masonry restoration, track and tennis court resurfacing, drainage repairs and replacement scoreboards at the field house and pool.
Additional work would improve heating and cooling at the transportation, operations and maintenance building, weatherize the storage building, add emergency lighting and repave district parking lots and drives.
Officials say the priorities emerged from the 2023 Building Condition Survey, facilities planning, user group meetings and community input following the earlier referendum.
State aid, reserves and retiring debt underpin tax projection
The estimated project cost is $25,816,715.
The district’s financial plan identifies $18,560,268 in state building aid, $5,825,000 from capital reserves and $1,431,447 associated with retiring debt.
Those amounts represent approximately 72%, 23% and 5% of the total, respectively.
Officials say the combination would allow the project to proceed without an additional tax increase attributable to the proposal. Existing debt retirement would create room in the district’s financial plan as older obligations end.
The capital reserves are money already saved for major facility improvements. State aid and reserves remain public resources, even when the financing plan avoids adding to residents’ tax bills.
The district’s $0 tax-increase projection applies to this capital project. It does not establish what future annual school budgets or tax levies will be.
Presentation Nov. 18, referendum Dec. 15
The district will hold a community presentation at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18, in the Watkins Glen High School auditorium, 301 12th St.
Voting will take place from noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 15, in the Board of Education Room at 303 12th St.
Eligible voters must be U.S. citizens, at least 18 years old and residents of the district for at least 30 days before the vote, subject to applicable election eligibility requirements.
Absentee and early mail-in voting applications are available through the district. Applications must reach the district clerk at least seven days before the referendum if a ballot must be mailed to the voter. Completed ballots must be returned by 5 p.m. Dec. 15.
Residents can contact the district at 607-535-3219 for additional information.
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