Copiague School District Hosts School Tours Prior to Bond Vote Monday, Nov. 23
Copiague School District residents will have an opportunity to vote on a bond referendum on Monday, Nov. 23 from 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. at Great Neck Road Elementary School. To ensure that residents are informed about the current conditions in the schools and the major repairs and renovations that are needed, the district will be hosting a series of building tours. Community residents will have an opportunity to learn more about the proposed scope of work, ask questions and share their opinions prior to voting on Monday, Nov. 23. The building tours are as follows: Wednesday, Nov. 4: Susan E. Wiley Elementary School 6:30-7 p.m. (during PTA meeting) Thursday, Nov. 5: Deauville Gardens West Elementary School 6:30-7:15 p.m. Deauville Gardens East Elementary School 7:15-8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 10: Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School 6:30-7:00 p.m. (before fall sports awards) Thursday, Nov. 12: Copiague Middle School 7-7:30 p.m. (during PTA meeting) Tuesday, Nov. 17: Great Neck Road Elementary School 6:30-7 p.m. The Board of Education and administration encourage all residents to attend these informative tours and to please remember to vote on Monday, Nov. 23.
The Copiague School District Board of Education adopted a capital project bond referendum which, if approved by voters on Nov. 23, 2015, will enable the district to make major repairs and renovations districtwide. It is important to note that of the 95 percent of the scope of work eligible for New York State Building Aid, the district will receive 75.2 percent in state aid. Essentially, community residents will be asked to pay for 24.8 percent of the cost, greatly reducing the cost to taxpayers. Only by proposing a bond referendum will the district be able to take advantage of the New York State Building Aid to fund the majority of the scope of work. For the past several months, the Board of Education listened to the opinions and concerns of community residents, carefully analyzed the spacing issues and infrastructure needs of each school with the district’s architect, and explored all financial options currently available to further reduce the cost to taxpayers. The district’s schools were never designed to accommodate the current enrollment. The district’s oldest school is nearly a century old, while the newest school was built approximately 50 years ago. Additional instructional classrooms and support service space are needed. Students are learning in overcrowded classrooms and in rooms that were originally designed to be storage rooms. Music lessons are taking place in unused bathrooms or on the stage during lunch periods. Science labs are overcrowded, and outdated equipment must be replaced to meet the needs of today’s more rigorous science, technology, engineering and math curriculum. Music rooms must be expanded and additional bathrooms must be ADA-compliant. Ceilings, flooring, lighting and windows that no longer allow light into the classrooms must be replaced as needed districtwide. Just like in a home, upgrades must be made to the electrical, plumbing and heating systems that are functioning ineffectively and in some cases have outlived their anticipated life expectancy and are no longer cost-efficient to operate. Athletic fields must be repaired and renovated. Safety and security upgrades are also needed. While facilities maintenance has been included in the annual budget, the scope of work proposed in the bond is too large to include without impacting programs and significantly increasing taxes. In order for the community to have a greater voice in the decision-making process, the Board unanimously decided to present two propositions for consideration. Proposition 1: For a net cost to taxpayers of approximately $12,270,383, the district will be able to implement $42,963,526 worth of repairs and renovations to our district schools. If community residents approve Proposition 1, the cost for the average household will be approximately $131.76 per year, or approximately 36¢ per day. Proposition 1 includes additional classrooms and support service areas; districtwide repairs and renovations, including masonry work, ceilings, bathroom renovations, and plumbing and electrical upgrades; replacement of the currently damaged high school athletic turf field; and track and tennis courts renovations. Science labs upgrades, additional music and art space, expanded entrances to Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School and Deauville Gardens East, and security upgrades are also included in Proposition 1. Proposition 2: For a net cost to taxpayers of approximately $4,323,485, the district will be able to implement $15,138,254 worth of repairs and renovations to our district schools. If community residents approve Proposition 2, the cost for the average household will be approximately $46.43 per year, or approximately 13¢ per day. It is important to note that Proposition 2 is dependent upon the passage of Proposition 1. Proposition 2 includes additional repairs and renovations to windows, sidewalks, ceilings, lighting, flooring, plumbing, heating, and interior and exterior doors; bathroom renovations; replacement of high school gymnasium bleachers; natural field restoration at the middle school; middle school auditorium renovations; and masonry repairs, including sidewalks. For additional information, visit the district’s website at www.copiague.k12.ny.us. The Board of Education is also planning to host building tours and meetings, during which the details of the proposed bond will be presented. Please save the date and remember to vote on Monday, Nov. 23, 2015.