2018 Lancaster Capital Improvement Project - YouTube

What makes Lancaster Middle School a great building is the fact of the magic that happens in the classroom, the great staff that we have,

they care about kids, not just academically but socially and emotionally as well.

At Hillview Elementary School we have the most caring, kind, and compassionate young learners.

Even at the ages of five, six, seven, and eight they are able to do the most incredible things, not only for our community here

in Lancaster, but abroad globally.

Last night was the bonfire. It's as impactful to me as it was 29 years ago when I started.

It's incredible to watch the community come out - the parents, the students.

And watching the concert choir sing the alma mater and

everybody just stopping and being so proud of this school and this community and what it represents and why people want to raise their kids

here.

Because it's really about the day-to-day

moments that happen at Court Street that makes it a wonderful place.

I see students walking hand-in-hand and helping each other in the hallways, and

I see teachers hard at work doing what they can to make sure that their students are

taken care of and getting the best educational environment.

My husband and I made the decision back in

1996 that Lancaster was where we were going to raise a family. I saw Lancaster,

I was part of William Street School as they built William Street School. I saw it grow.

We know as a family there is no school district that can meet all of our children's needs, whether it's sports,

educational, the academies -

just a solid education all around. Again, our children have and continue to attend the Lancaster schools,

which we are very proud of. It's second to none. I believe that this school district is experiencing historic levels of achievement and success.

Like you, my wife and I have experienced the same great opportunities this school district has to offer

with regard to athletics, music,

extracurricular activities, and these have been afforded to each one of our four children.

People are choosing to bring their families to Lancaster and its community based on the reputation of its schools. The fact of the matter is

Lancaster is a destination school district and is second to none in Western New York.

On Tuesday, December 11, Lancaster residents will have the opportunity to vote on a

$77.1 million capital project.

The referendum is focused on preserving the district's assets by prioritizing items that are in need of repair or replacement.

So for nineteen years

I've been able to work with them and very proud to work with many teachers and the staff at that building that

just do great creative and innovative things with students each and every day.

We have a lot of programming that is new and

creative and innovative and the older structure just doesn't have the electrical and the background

feasibility of doing it, so we have to really adapt the program to the building as opposed to

adapting the program to the student needs.

In 2015, 16, and 17 our

school, Hillview, was greatly impacted by the last capital project.

We received a very secure and safe main office, foyer, and entrance way.

Things that when you walk into the school, you feel welcome,

This is a community that cares about their schools and they want their schools to shine.

We want to make sure that our children are always safe, and we want to make sure that they're in a school environment

that is not only built well, but has many areas for students to learn and grow.

So we would like to say thank you to the Lancaster community for providing the support in helping upgrade our facilities,

coupled with the comfort of our students within the classroom.

Our building still has some work to be done around safety and roofs and windows and those types of

upgrades that need to happen.

Being the principal of William Street School allows me to connect

with the students and their parents and in the community.

They see me out in the community and know

that I too am Lancaster and that I have their

child's best interest - as I would my own children - as we move forward into the next years of how we're going to continue to make

Lancaster the best that it can be.

How can we make a $77.1 million improvement with no additional tax impact?

The answer is:

Maximizing state building aid, applying $5 million dollars from the district's capital reserve, and a $500,000

contribution from Lancaster Educational and Alumni Foundation,

LEAF.

Combined, these resources will allow the district to complete this capital project at no additional tax impact to taxpayers.

I just recently met with the architects to finalize the black box theater and the activity space that is going in

what was the Java Gym. I am very excited about the possibilities

it's going to bring to the music department, the leadership

organizations, and many of the other academies, as they'll have a meeting space that is very professional. We're very excited about the ultimate possibilities

that are going on. It's interesting when we talk about the new wall that shows our athletic history.

I just toured the Class of '68 on their 50th reunion and I walked them through there,

and it just made them smile, and to see these people who take so much pride in being a

Lancaster alum but so proud to see how the history has been preserved

amidst the progress.

This is our community.

This is our proud school district.

Help us ensure our future.