The Port Washington School Board will vote on Jan. 13—at its next regular meeting—about whether to ask residents to endorse a $69 million bond for capital improvements and repairs to district properties.
The bond would require a majority vote from district residents, with polling taking place on March 10.
While the board was previously preparing for $77 million dollar bond, adjustments and improvements have been made to the plans and it now reflects the $69 million total.
Board members have said there is no choice but to seek the funds for improvements that cannot be covered by the annual budget. The bond issue is not popular with many residents, who say salaries of teachers and administrators should be cut, or at least moderated, to make up some of the cost. There is also concern that the board is being too ambitious with the scope of projects and improvements to be covered by the bond. Board members have defended their plans as being necessary for upkeep of buildings and grounds, as well as adding some necessary elements to the district.
At the board’s last meeting, Vernon McDermott, board member, urged the building administrators and central administration to look over the completed list one last time.
“Everyone in the schools should take a look at this list because I’m just concerned that we are missing something,” he said. “We want to make sure that this is the right thing to commit the community to. Let’s make sure we are spending the money wisely. I just want that final confirmation from everyone.”
Board member Alan Baer noted some of the items the district originally put in the proposed bond were actually removed because they are minor enough to be put in the budget for the following few years.
“We have worked very hard to break out what our facilities need and what our special needs are,” said Karen Sloan, president of the board. “There was a lot of input from the community, but we just can’t do everything.”
Dave Satinger, a member of the community, said the process “feels rushed. I think it’s time to take a step back.”
Areas earmarked for bond funding include new auditoriums, one of the largest expenses. Each will take about four to six months to complete and only one will be able to be worked on each summer. Paving also got attention. “We spent a lot of money on paving and a lot of this was done fairly recently,” said Larry Greenstein, board member. “Why are these not lasting?”
With more than $300,000 budgeted in the bond referendum for paving costs, assistant superintendent for business Mary Callahan said there is a major problem with the soil.
“There is so much settling that the ground continues to sink,” she said. Callahan noted that all of the soil will have to be re-tested and prepped properly for paving.
The district has also made a strategic move regarding Pre-K. With new state mandates and the possibility of changes coming to the program, the board decided to shelve any opportunity to pump money into renovations.
“We are looking at possibly having to implement a more universal-like program and we may have to move it away from Daly (Elementary School) all together,” said Kathleen Mooney, superintendent of schools.
