Hastings School District ‘Fields’ Ideas for Facility Upgrade Plan

Dozens of residents took the Hasting-on-Hudson School District up on its invitation to discuss the polarizing Facility Bond Referendum Wednesday night in the high school’s Farragut Complex cafeteria.

This is the district's second attempt to get a referendum approved by its taxpayers, who soundly rejected an $8.6 million proposal on Oct. 22 with a 1,595 to 1,060 vote in Cochran gym. An exit polling showed that a million-dollar artificial turf resurfacing of the high school’s Reynolds Field was the main downfall of that proposal.

Any referendum proposal including that option has since been thrown out the window.

“Turf is off the table,” Hastings Schools Superintendent Roy Montesano said. “You can all breathe a sigh of relief.”

Montesano led Wednesday night’s presentation, which overviewed the district’s current enrollment, field usage and participation. He then reviewed an explanation of the costs. Any referendum put to a vote will include building upgrades to the middle school, high school and Hillside Elementary School for a total cost just over $4 million.

What is still being determined is the extent and method the district will choose in upgrading its athletic fields and facilities. Four different options were presented Wednesday night. After an overview of each option was given, residents – which were already sorted out in groups – discussed the pros and cons of each option.

Here are the four options (all of which include a $500,000 subtraction via capital reserve):

Option A ($4.4 million) is the previously rejected plan with a grass field instead of a turf field, a full 400-meter track, and an expansion of “Upper Burke.” This plan would bring the total upgrade cost to $7.9 million and would cost the average house in the district $128.72 per year.

Option B ($4.1 million) includes a the grass field, a “400-meter broken back track” at Reynolds with a four lane oval and six lane straight away, and an expansion of “Upper Burke.” It would bring the total cost of the plan to $7.7 million and would cost the average house in the district $125.46 per year.

Option C ($5.3 million) includes a 400-meter track and football field at Burke, and a baseball and field hockey field at Reynolds, with a smaller expansion at “Upper Burke” compared to Option B or A. This plan would bring the total upgrade cost to $8.9 million, with the average house paying $143.38 per year.

Option D ($4 million), which was created by a resident, would put a 400-meter track at Reynolds Field and relocate the tennis courts to Burke Field. This plan would bring the total upgrade cost to $7.6 million total, with each resident paying $123.83 per year.

Discussions by the groups were conducted without much conflict, which Montesano noted as a positive. While residents did not proclaim an overwhelming affinity for any of the options, many seemed to agree that Option B gave the district the most field space, which, at the end of the day, is the main priority.

“Option B is my favorite because I think it’s the best option for our student athletes and also gives the community the most opportunity to use our facilities for its activities,” Athletic Director Adam Lodewick told Patch.

Montesano said the district encourages further community input in its Dec. 18 school board meeting, and especially invites residents who were unable to attend Wednesday night’s forum. The district will accept additional comments through the end of the year, with the intention of finalizing its proposal sometime in January, he said.

For more information on the Hastings-on-Hudson Schools bond referendum, you can visit its Facebook page. For the full presentation from Wednesday night, click here.