Prop 3 would allow for grass field renovation, interior additions

The Red Hook Central School District is proposing a $6.085 million capital improvement project featuring broad reconstruction of the main athletic field at its high and middle schools utilizing a grass surface. 

The proposal also includes two interior projects: renovations for some of the Red Hook High School bathrooms and the installation of a kiln room at Linden Avenue Middle School. 

The measure was approved by the Board of Education during its meeting March 20 and will appear as Proposition 3 on the May 20 school budget and board election ballot. Though voters will be asked if they will approve spending more than $6 million on the proposal, taxpayers would be responsible for less than $2.2 million of the cost after state aid. 

The district has sought to fix issues of safety and accessibility at its main field for several years. The field is overly compact, uneven and prone to flooding, the product of severe overuse. Three times since 2022, the board has unsuccessfully put forth propositions to voters in which the field would be renovated with an artificial turf surface. Environmental concerns tied to the materials used to create the field were a common reason voters cited for why they did not support the plans. 

Voters in October approved the renovation of two other field spaces at the high and middle schools utilizing natural grass. 

“Throughout this process we have been listening to residents’ feedback while building proposals that would provide our students with safe outdoor facilities to aid in their physical and emotional well-being,” Dr. Janet Warden, superintendent of schools, said. “A grass renovation satisfies those concerns we’ve heard while allowing for the field repairs we’ve needed.” 

The repairs included in this new proposal encompass the installation of a new grass surface and a drainage system. Field lighting would also be installed, allowing for competitions and community events after dark. The track surrounding the field, which was last resurfaced in 2010, will be replaced and the perimeter chain-link fencing would be repaired. 

The field’s main use would be for football and lacrosse competitions and the track and field team, with other fields and spaces utilized for practices and the physical education department. The district would aim to preserve the surface and protect against the overuse that has plagued the schools’ fields. 

As for the middle school kiln room, a new floor, electrical upgrades and lighting, and a kiln exhaust hood would be installed. The high school would also see some bathrooms receive new fixtures, accessories and partitions.  

If Proposition 3 is approved, the average homeowner with a property value of $400,000 can expect to pay an average of $20 per year over 15 years. 

The proposition will be one of five on the ballot, including the 2025-26 district budget, the acquisition of four electric school buses, and appropriation increases for the Red Hook and Tivoli libraries. Two school board seats will also be open for election. 

Though Proposition 2 calls for purchasing four electric buses at an individual cost of no more than $300,000 each, they would come at little-to-no cost after reimbursement through state aid. 

Residents will be able to cast ballots from noon to 9 p.m. May 20 at Mill Road Elementary School, or through absentee, early mail or military voting. Visit the district’s voting page to learn more.