By a vote of 1,140 to 829, voters approved the Garden City School District’s $36.5 million bond referendum Oct. 27. Work will now go forward on improvements at all nine of the district’s buildings.
“On behalf of the Board of Education and administration, I want to thank all of you for your support,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Robert Feirsen said. “We appreciate that approval of this bond reflects the community’s commitment to the improvement and preservation of our schools.”
Upgrades will be made to facilities district wide to meet basic safety and code requirements, as well as reclaim learning space for academic program growth. “Garden City residents spoke loud and clear,” Board of Education President Colleen Foley said. “They respect the tradition of excellence in our schools and want to ensure that we remain a top-performing district able to compete with the best districts in the country.”
The district chose to hold the bond referendum now to leverage the current state of the economy. “We expect to realize the best returns on our investment by doing the necessary repairs while interest rates are low and construction firms are eager for work,” Dr. Feirsen said.
Additionally, the proposed repairs and renovations will decrease the rate of deterioration of the district’s physical plant.
Superintendent Feirsen applauded the work of the district’s Facilities Committee, whose members worked “extensively to put together a conservative, cost-effective plan” and thanked them for their efforts.
Work on some projects will begin next summer. A timeline and regular updates regarding the bond projects will be posted on the district’s website, www.gardencity.k12.ny.us.
