Eastport South Manor school officials prepare for bond vote Tuesday

Recommend

Comment

Email this article

Print this article

Get news alerts

RSS Feeds

Share Digg Mixx Linked In Facebook Twitter Delicious

Eastport South Manor School District officials geared up their efforts this week to urge taxpayers to approve a $61 million construction project designed to improve the district’s three elementary schools.

Residents will be asked to approve a bond to fund the project this Tuesday, December 8, from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., at the Eastport South Manor Junior-Senior High School on Moriches-Middle Island Road in Manorville.

The project, which is being managed by the district’s architects, Wiedersum Associates, calls for additional classrooms, storage space and various renovations to cafeterias and gymnasiums at the Dayton Avenue, South Street and Eastport elementary schools, said Superintendent of Schools Mark Nocero.

The majority of the funding for the project, about 90 percent, or $55 million, would be paid for through state building aid, leaving about $6 million to be covered by the district taxpayers over the course of approximately 18 years, according to Assistant Superintendent for Business Richard Snyder. The local share would amount to approximately $425,000 per year.

If the bond is approved Tuesday, the average homeowner in the Brookhaven Town portion of the district with a home assessed at $3,500 would pay an additional $72 per year. In Southampton Town, the average homeowner with a house assessed at $400,000 would pay an additional $60 per year in school property taxes.

This year’s tax rate for Brookhaven residents is $205.04 per $100 of assessed value, meaning the average homeowner pays about $7,176 per year in school taxes. The Southampton tax rate was set at $15.79 per $1,000 assessed value, meaning that the average homeowner pays about $6,316.

School officials were quick to note that they expect the district’s share of the cost of the project to be offset by energy savings generated by a $13 million “green” energy project that was recently approved by the School Board. Under that project, a cogeneration power plant would be built at the high school, and heating, ventilation and air conditioning improvements will be made throughout the district. Additionally, the schools will be weatherized and solar panels will be installed on some school roofs. The district hopes to save about $737,000 per year in energy costs after the upgrades are made.

Under the building project, plans at the Eastport Elementary School include construction of a new two-story kindergarten through second grade school building with 21 classrooms. The new building is designed to replace six aging portable classroom buildings that were constructed more than two decades ago. The new building is expected to be Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certified, and equipped with a cogeneration plant that would allow the district to generate some of its own heat and electricity. It also includes renovations that would expand the scope of the gymnasium to allow for student performances and building-wide assemblies.

The new campus would come equipped with baseball, soccer and softball fields, as well as three tennis courts. It would have a newly configured bus loop, a student drop-off area and a parking lot area to allow for more convenience and better traffic flow during arrival and dismissal times. A new playground would also be constructed.

The total price tag for improvements at the Eastport Elementary School is about $32 million—more than half of the total cost of the work.

A new wing of seven classrooms—six kindergarten classrooms and one special education classroom—along with much needed storage space would be built at the South Street Elementary School under the plan. The school’s gymnasium would be expanded to include a new stage for assemblies. Portable classrooms would be removed and replaced with new rooms for music and art classes. A new main office would also be constructed. Renovations at the site would total $12 million.

Construction at the Dayton Avenue Elementary School would total $16 million. The school’s gymnasium would be converted into a cafeteria under the plan to make room for all grade levels during lunch, said Mr. Nocero. Currently, the cafeteria can hold only three classes at a time. The current cafeteria and kitchen space would be converted into a new library media center, equipped with the latest technology.

The school would also become home to the district’s new administrative offices. In addition, the school’s current band room, which Mr. Nocero called a “converted garage,” would also receive a makeover.

“It may be a room for kids to play music, but it certainly isn’t a music room,” Mr. Nocero said.

Officials began promoting the project shortly after final plans were approved by the School Board on October 21. Since then, Mr. Nocero and Mr. Snyder have been visiting parent-teacher groups, school booster clubs and attending various school events to get the word out about the project and to mitigate concerns.