LE ROY PENNYSAVER & NEWS - NOVEMBER 12, 2023 District residents can vote on the Le Roy Central School District Capital Project from 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 5, 2023, at the Wolcott Street School Library Media Center. The Public Information Meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 28, 2023, starting at 6:00 p.m. in Memorial Auditorium. An official newsletter will be mailed to all district residents next week. The $12,515,872 Capital Project will provide program upgrades at the Jr/Sr High School and asset preservation work at the Wolcott Street School. The project will have no (zero) tax impact on district residents. On behalf of the Facilities Committee and Board of Education, I wanted to take this opportunity to inform voters of the rationale as to why the proposed multipurpose turf field (located on the current soccer field) is coming back up again in a Captial Project vote for Le Roy CSD. Our district families have expressed a need to bring this proposition back to the voters The Facilities Committee determined that based upon New York State requirements for State Building Aid reimbursement, the timing, and the scope of the work proposed in this project at the Jr/Sr High School campus allows for the multipurpose turf field to qualify for aid. With this information, the door opened for the district to revisit the multipurpose turf field proposal. For our 2021 Capital Project, Le Roy CSD’s building aid was set by New York State at 88%. For this project, we would now receive 91.1% in state aid with the remainder of costs (8.9%) being offset by our Capital Reserve Fund. The multipurpose turf field would be used for physical education classes, marching band and sports practices (fall and spring), soccer games, and youth sports. Outdoor fall sports in Section V, specifically soccer and football, end with their sectional semi-finals and finals playing on multipurpose turf fields. This would also be the case for regionals and states. This fall, the marching band, girls’ soccer, and football teams used Perry and Caledonia-Mumford’s multipurpose turf fields to hold practices in preparation for postseason play and/or their final competition. There are additional costs (bus and driver) associated with this taking place. A multipurpose turf field here in Le Roy opens endless opportunities for our school and community. Questions and concerns arise about player safety and injuries on a multipurpose turf field versus a grass field. Here are some things to consider as a parent, student-athlete, and voter: • One important area to note in the debate is that research has shown that injuries on grass fields are higher in April, October, and November due to poor weather conditions and/or field overuse. Multipurpose synthetic turf fields are less impacted by weather patterns, can host multiple games/contests/practices, and provide a consistent playing surface for studentathletes. • Most, if not all, NFL, professional, and Division I schools have unlimited resources to maintain their grass fields. From owning sod farms (in other states), artificial lighting in fall months, and dedicated trained personnel, these resources are impossible for Le Roy CSD to replicate. • It is also unfair to make comparisons between professional athletes and school (modified, JV, and varsity) student-athletes when it comes to injuries. Professional athletes represent such a small percentage of the population. According to NCAA and NAIA statistics, just 1 in 250 college athletes go on to play professionally (0.4%). There is a stark difference in comparing the speed, strength, and injury rate of professional athletes/Division I athletes with that of high school student-athletes. • The picture below of our varsity soccer field was taken on Thursday, November 2, 2023. You can see what the field looks like at the end of the fall season. In an attempt to keep the field in the best condition possible, the varsity soccer field only hosts some practices during the season but does host all home varsity girls and boys' games. With a multipurpose turf field, overuse of the playing field/surface will be a nonissue. If you have any questions regarding the Capital Project, please feel free to contact a Board member or myself. Voting takes place on Tuesday, December 5, 2023, from 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the Wolcott Street School Library Media Center. Thanks. Merritt Holly fall months, and dedicated trained personnel, these resources are impossible for Le Roy CSD to replicate. • It is also unfair to make comparisons between professional athletes and school (modified, JV, and varsity) student-athletes when it comes to injuries. Professional athletes represent such a small percentage of the opulation. According to NCAA and NAIA statistics, jus 1 in 250 college athletes go on to play professionally (0.4%). There is a stark difference in comparing the speed, strength, and injury rate of professional athletes/Division I athletes with that of high school student-athletes. • The picture below of our varsity soccer field was taken on Thursday, November 2, 2023. You can see what the field looks like at the end of the fall season. In an attempt to keep the field in the best condition possible, the varsity soccer field only hosts some practices during the season but does host all home varsity girls and boys' games. With a multipurpose turf field, overuse of the playing field/surface will be a non-issue. If you have any questions regarding the Capital Project, please feel free to contact a Board member or myself. Voting takes place on Tuesday, December 5, 2023, from 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the Wolcott Street School Library Media Center. Thanks. Merritt Holly Le Roy Central School District Parents, Guardians, and Residents:
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