Some big ticket items are on the Pelham School District ballot this year, and voters will get a chance to weigh in on them, and other warrant articles, at the district’s deliberative session.

Voters will meet on Wednesday, Feb. 6, starting at 7 p.m., at Pelham Elementary School.

Three of the most expensive warrant articles being recommended by the School Board deal with Pelham High School – purchasing land for a new school, constructing the building and adding an auditorium to it.

A $3 million bond article would authorize the school district to buy two parcels of land, totaling approximately 48 acres, off Windham Road on which to build the new school. The district has signed a purchase and sale agreement with the landowners.

The construction and original equipping of the new high school is being proposed in a $44,665,000 bond warrant article. Of that amount, $41,411,000 is for the high school project, while $3,254,000 is to renovate the current high school into a school for grades 7 and 8.

A $3,116,000 bond article would fund the addition of an auditorium at the new high school.

All three bond articles require a 60 percent majority to pass when voters go to the polls on Tuesday, March 11. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the high school.

Passage of the school construction and renovation article is contingent upon the land purchase being approved. Likewise, passage of the auditorium article is contingent upon the new school being approved.

The Budget Committee is recommending that the land be purchased, but it is opposed to the new buildings.

The land and auditorium would each be financed with a five-year bond, while the new school and renovations would be paid for with a 25-year bond.

The school district has estimated that the highest tax impacts per $1,000 of assessed property valuation are 32 cents for the land, $2.12 for the school and renovations and 33 cents for the auditorium.

Officials believe that if voters approve the project in March, the new school would be completed by September 2010.

The school district’s proposed 2008-09 operating budget is $24,165,115. If the budget is rejected by voters in March, a default budget of $23,768,163 – the current budget plus certain adjustments – goes into effect.

Other warrants

Almost all of the other warrant articles seek to add new staff positions, increase pay for workers, upgrade technology or make capital improvements, as requested by the School Board. These include:

• $48,851 to give nonunion workers a 3 percent salary increase.

• $64,450 for the salary and benefits of a special education teacher/case manager to support students with disabilities at the high school.

• $64,450 for the salary and benefits of a health/physical education teacher to support the health curriculum and the elementary school.

• $12,382 for a part-time custodian at the elementary school.

• $64,450 for salary and benefits to add a sixth-grade teacher at Memorial School.

• $32,225 to add a business teacher at the high school.

• $64,450 for salary and benefits to add a social studies teacher at the high school.

• $53,991 to continue providing child-benefit services to St. Patrick School.

• $183,333 to fund the third year of the school district’s technology plan.

• $140,000 to replace the parking lot and add additional parking spaces at Memorial School.

• Add $50,000 to the district’s maintenance capital reserve fund

The Budget Committee is not recommending the new social studies teacher, part-time custodian, special education manager and parking lot improvements.