There are many reasons why voters may have narrowly defeated a $85.9 million bond by the Great Neck School District last week.
School board members who supported the plan may not have worked hard enough or smart enough to get voters to the polls — though the more than 3,000 residents who casts votes was more than three times the number of people who turned out last year to overwhelmingly approve the district’s $219 million budget.
Voters may also not have believed the all or part of the bond was necessary.
In October, school officials presented projects of what was termed critical needs such as roof repairs at the district’s 18 school buildings at a cost of $51.7 million.
But then in November, they presented plans for education and school building improvements at the cost of another $43.71 million.
The combined cost — $95.41 million — would be paid by a $85.9 million bond and $9.51 million from reserves.
In retrospect, the district might have been better off by not trying to do everything at once.
Even in an affluent school district such as Great Neck, where voters routinely approve more than $34,000 in spending per pupil, school officials may have been asking for too much, too soon.
For taxpayers living in a $500,000 home, school officials said, taxes would increase by $157.50 annually. Taxpayers living in a $750,000 home would see an increase of $236.25 per year and those living in a $1 million home would see an increase of $315 annually.
The increase doesn’t seem like too much by itself, but taken with all the other taxes paid by residents of Great Neck and the sections of New Hyde Park that attend district schools, the increase may have been a bridge too far.
That is something school officials in school districts throughout the North Shore would do well to take into account in preparing their own spending plans.
The Great Neck school district may also be a victim of its own success.
A nationwide ranking released this month listed the Great Neck school district as the fifth best district in the country and the top district in New York State. The list, released by Niche.com, included five other North Shore school district’s in the country’s top 100 including East Williston, Roslyn, Manhasset, Herricks and Port Washington.
Some voters may have asked why spend more when the district is already No. 1.
Another concern voiced by some residents was the district’s ability to manage a project this size without wasting large amounts of money.
School administrators and board members are focused on the quality of the district’s education, the thinking went, but what do they know about managing construction projects.
This concern, while legitimate, is in this case somewhat troubling.
Many of these concerns were raised just before the election when school officials had no opportunity to address them either verbally or by taking action.
If residents or others had concerns why not present them at the public hearings held by the school district in the weeks and months leading up to the vote or by inviting school officials to appear before a group that had those concerns.
Whether intentional or not, holding off in addressing those concerns until just before the election only served those who wanted the bond defeated.
This is not to overlook the question of a school district’s ability — or any other government entity — to oversee large-scale construction projects.
Taxpayers have too often seen large cost overruns that drive up the cost of large projects.
Then again nothing would ever be built if those concerns were a reason not to build something.
The Great Neck School District has already built the 18 school buildings and continues to manage them. So they are not exactly without experience in the area.
And buildings do deteriorate over time and need repairs.
Our hope is that in this case — or any other school or municipal construction project — that those with concerns come out sooner rather than later.
