Westhill district asks voters to expand air conditioning in schools

Westhill School District is putting classroom comfort directly in front of taxpayers, asking voters to decide whether the district should spend more to add air conditioning at Cherry Road Elementary School and Onondaga Hill Middle School as hotter school buildings become a bigger issue for students and staff.

The district’s capital project referendum will be on the ballot Thursday, June 11, 2026, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the Westhill High School Auditorium Foyer on the Grand Avenue entrance. Westhill serves about 1,750 students, and district leaders are framing the proposal as a long-term investment in learning conditions, building usability and day-to-day operations across the four-school system.

The full proposal totals $73.85 million. Proposition 1, the base project, is listed at $48 million and would not raise the tax rate, according to the district. It includes a new transportation center, renovation and reuse of the former St. Ann’s property, UPK classrooms at Walberta Park Elementary School and athletic and building-system improvements. Proposition 2 would add $25.85 million in HVAC work, including air-conditioning at Cherry Road and Onondaga Hill, and would bring a tax rate increase. That second proposition depends on Proposition 1 passing.

Westhill said planning for the 2026 capital project began in August 2024, when it formed a Facilities Planning Committee to review short- and long-range needs across all district buildings and grounds, including the former St. Ann’s property. The Board of Education adopted a resolution on April 6 to put the project before voters. The district also held community forums at Westhill High School on May 12 at 6 p.m., May 28 at 5:30 p.m. and June 2 at 6 p.m. to explain the proposal before the vote.

District materials describe a broad list of work beyond cooling alone: exterior athletic facilities, fields and courts, parking and sidewalks, exterior lighting upgrades, roof replacements, interior HVAC and boiler work and the new transportation center. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation issued a negative declaration on April 22, finding the proposed capital improvements would not have a significant adverse environmental impact.

Westhill says much of the project would be supported by state building aid, with local funding timed to coincide with the retirement of debt from the Cherry Road expansion. For voters, the choice now comes down to whether the district’s buildings are keeping pace with modern expectations in a warming climate, and whether the price of that upgrade is worth paying.