To the Editor:

The Potsdam Central School District is planning an $18 million capital improvement project to upgrade their facilities and create energy savings. This project includes heating, roofing, lighting, and improvements in the auditorium. It is expected that this investment will save approximately $750,000 in energy costs over the next 15 years.

Eighty six percent of the cost of this project would be covered by state capital improvement funds. This project will not result in an increase in local taxes due to former debt being retired and the use of capital reserve funds.

The PTSA executive committee has examined the proposed plan and believe that now is the time to make these improvements as deferring such capitol expenses raises substantial risk of incurring some of these expenses as emergency repairs within the next few years, without the benefit of state funding. Such a scenario would result in diversion of scarce resources from educational programs. For more information, please visit the district website.

With the public vote for the capital improvement project on Dec.12 from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the high school auditorium, we hope you will come out and vote yes for this important initiative. We need a safe, healthy environment for our students.

Maureen Moose, Executive Board

Potsdam Central PTSA