Katonah-Lewisboro board outlines steps after LES rated ‘failing,’ sets June survey and UPK RFI

The Katonah‑Lewisboro Union Free School District on June 4 told residents it cannot sustain occupancy at the Lewisboro Elementary School campus after a recent building‑condition survey rated the site “failing,” and outlined immediate steps including a community survey and a request for information for universal pre‑kindergarten partners.

Superintendent Ray Blanch told the board the failing designation means the district cannot realistically obtain a certificate of occupancy for the LES campus and insurance risks and major mechanical systems failures make continued use unsafe; he said the district expects occupancy and community uses to cease by Aug. 26, 2026 unless conditions change. The district will begin a mailed and online community survey at the end of next week to collect voter feedback on the recent bond vote and community priorities, he said.

Why it matters: LES was the center of a narrowly defeated bond and has been vacant for students for roughly a decade; a failing facility rating creates immediate safety, insurance and code consequences and forces the district to evaluate decommissioning, winterization, or major capital work—choices the board called costly and constrained by state education and building codes.

What the board approved and will pursue: administrators said they would (a) mail a survey to roughly 14,000 addresses to capture broader community input about the recent vote and questions that influenced ballots; (b) issue an RFI for UPK providers so the board can assess options for mandated universal pre‑K; and (c) return to the board in July with a summary of survey themes, a fiscal analysis (including UPK options), and any facility updates so trustees can set next steps in August.

Costs and constraints: board members and staff emphasized school renovation costs are not comparable to residential remodeling because projects must comply with prevailing wage rules, Wicks law (multiple trades), state education department standards, fire codes, environmental review and certificate‑of‑occupancy requirements. Operations staff said a full five‑year capital plan for the district’s five buildings was estimated at more than $120 million and that escalation since prior estimates has been significant.

Modular and town uses: Tony Goncalves, the town supervisor, asked the board to consider allowing the modular police office on the LES site to remain longer and said the town could assume some utility responsibilities; administration said modular continuation would require state code and insurance approvals and that water and mechanical infrastructure feeding the campus are in a precarious state.

Next procedural steps: the district will send the survey, collect RFI replies, and present findings at a July board meeting; the board could then deliberate whether to revisit capital proposals or pursue alternate pathways. Administration framed the coming work as: capture community perspectives, update costs and conditions, and then determine a path forward under state rules.

Provenance: this article summarizes remarks and slides presented during the board’s LES “path forward” presentation and the subsequent Q&A and public comment (topic introduced SEG 2610; discussion continued through SEG 2950).