At their Oct. 8 meeting, the Westbury School District Board of Education voted to postpone the vote date of the proposed capital project bond referendum, which was originally slated for Nov. 17.
Postponing the vote date will not change the fact that an approved bond will enable the district to receive 76.6 percent in New York State Building Aid to pay for the majority of the proposed work.
While the board unanimously supports the work included in the bond, the members of the board agreed that it was important to ensure that community residents fully understand the current conditions of the district’s schools, including the lack of needed instructional classrooms and adequate support service areas, which force instruction to take place in areas originally designed as storage areas and closets; inadequate cafeterias, which force students to eat in the gymnasiums, auditoriums and classrooms; and the need for major repairs and renovations to the infrastructure, including the replacement of old and inefficient boilers, roofs, ceilings and floors, as well as masonry restoration and safety and security upgrades.
In the future, the board of education and administration plan to host informative community forums. During these meetings, the community will have an opportunity to learn more about the details of the proposed work and observe the physical conditions of each school.
