Sewanhaka Central High School District trustees indicated support Tuesday for presenting a bond proposal for capital improvements at all five high schools at next Tuesday’s board meeting that would go to voters on May 20.
“The impact of passing this bond proposal is immediate,” Sewanhaka school board Vice President David Del Santo said. “The building’s need to be attended to and that’s what we’ll do.”
Del Santo and board President David Fowler said they expected the bond proposed Tuesday would be considerably less than the $99.5 million proposal that was defeated by voters last December.
“The proposal we’re batting around is reduced markedly in cost and some of the projects we were hoping to do are going to be eliminated,” Del Santo said. “Everything’s subject to change until we determine it .”
Del Santo said he expected the proposed bond would be for approximately $85 million in borrowing and said changes were likely to include a modification of plans to upgrade athletic field at the five district high schools.
Fowler said the board members were reviewing proposals received in the past week for energy performance contracts that could cover some projects in district schools now included in the bond, such as acoustical ceilings and lighting estimated at $1.25 million and window glazing estimated at $1.66 million.
“We’re still trying to crunch the numbers on exactly what the proposals might be as opposed to strictly bonding it,” Fowler said.
He said the board may seek additional energy performance contract proposals. But he said that would not inhibit the board from drafting a bond proposal for the May election when voters from Sewanhaka’s component elementary school districts would also be voting.
“It’s every important that this goes out on May 20,” Del Santo said.
Flower agreed, saying “the longer we wait the more difficult it will be to take advantage of low interest rates.”
Sewanhaka Superintendent of Schools Ralph Ferrie said the proposals for energy performance contracts, intended to save the district money on certain capital projects over time, are under “intensified analysis” as the school board approaches a decision on a bond proposal at its March 25 meeting. He also said the administration learned in January it could expect 47 percent reimbursement in state building aid for projects in the bond, rather than the 40 percent reimbursement he said it had anticipated.
On Tuesday night, Ferrie presented five alternatives to the $99.5 million bond proposal that he presented at a March 4 meeting of the district residents ad hoc committee advising the board on the bond.
The first option would reduce the $99.5 million bond proposal by approximately $1 million by eliminating $432,650 in electronic signs and $591,200 in capital projects. The capital projects would, instead, be included in the proposed 2014-15 district budget.
The second option for $84.6 million would eliminate $3.27 million in costs by not installing air conditioning in auditoriums at the district high schools; $2 million by reducing the size of the gym to be added at Elmont Memorial High School; $1.24 million by eliminating acoustical ceilings and windows in the schools; $1.66 million by eliminating window glazing; $1 million by reducing auditorium renovation work at Floral Park Memorial High School; $2.3 million by eliminating additions at Sewanhaka High School; $694,480 by reducing work at the district’s career and technical education buildings; $591,200 by eliminating capital projects; and $90,000 by eliminating outside cafeteria seating at H. Frank Carey High School for a savings of.
The $84.6 million option is similar to one presented to the committee at a meeting last month.
A third option of $87 million would include the same cuts as the second option, but would include the $3.27 million for air conditioning in the auditoriums, which many ad hoc committee members have cited as a priority.
A fourth option of $89.57 million would include a full-size gym at Elmont Memorial, the original auditorium renovation plan at Floral Park Memorial, including three large group instruction rooms and restoring the original field design at New Hyde Park Memorial High School.
A fifth option would split the bond proposal into two propositions, including a $73.56 million proposal that would eliminate the air conditioning, window glazing and reduce additions at Sewanhaka High School and work on the career and technical buildings. A $16 million bond for improvements to the athletic facilities at the five district high schools, including installation of turf fields, would be included in a separate proposition.
Ad hoc committee members at that meeting opposed splitting the bond issue into separate propositions as had been previously proposed and expressed support for including the bond proposal on the May 20 ballot.
Del Santo said presenting two separate bond propositions is still an option the school board is considering.
Residents at the Tuesday meeting expressed a range of reservations about Sewanhaka’s bond proposal.
“If you want to get this thing down, you should scale it down to the necessities,” said Elmont resident Patrick Nicolosi.
Nicolosi said he doesn’t think residents would see any difference between the $99.5 million bond proposal and an $87 million bond proposal.
“The bond was defeated because we cannot afford another tax with the tax increases we already get,” said New Hyde Park resident Christine Grincato.
Floral Park resident Milton Brush questioned whether the district would be reimbursed for the work at the 47 percent rate.
“They tell you can get it, but they don’t guarantee it,” Brush said.
Ad hoc committee member Barbara Reynolds responded to the bond’s critics, saying, “The buildings are in terrible condition for a community like ours. If you keep putting it off, it’s going to cost more and we’ll need more work.”
