A Dyer elementary school could be getting a $17 million expansion. Bibich Elementary School would get 12 new classrooms, a cafeteria expansion, and more parking space, under a plan presented to the Lake Central School Board Tuesday.
"We're really at a situation where the number of empty classrooms we have across the district is getting pretty low. It's getting low to the point where we think it's time to add some capacity to those classrooms. . . . Some of this is brought about by our own commitment to have smaller class sizes in K to 2," said Lake Central School Superintendent Dr. Larry Veracco.
He said the need for capacity will likely increase in the future, as the district's remaining farmland is replaced with housing and as younger families move into existing neighborhoods.
The project would raise property taxes by up to two-and-a-half cents per $100 of assessed valuation, but the district recently saw a decrease due to the refinancing of outstanding bonds. The Bibich addition could break ground this coming June and be complete in December of 2023. An optional project to replace the ceilings and heating and air conditioning systems in the current building could then take place the following spring.
But the timeline and costs could fluctuate because of the pandemic, and residents will have a chance to weigh in, before the school board decides whether to move forward.
