A plan to spend capital reserve funds on building additions and athletic turf fields at the Hampton Street and Mineola High schools in the Mineola School District passed resident voters last week. The $7 million plan was approved 442-162.
“We have a lot of work to do,” school board president Christine Napolitano said. “We’ll hit the ground running. We have the specs. We started the ball rolling with [New York State], but until we get approval, we can’t go anywhere.”
The elementary school will gain a new cafeteria, classroom additions and a bus loop along with a new concession stand, running track and field lighting. Mineola High School is slated for a new technology lab, combining metal and wood shop with computer design.
“The board is very excited to have this project move forward,” Napolitano said. “We’re glad it passed by a margin of 4 to 1.”
A robotics lab will sit at the center of the addition, in an enclosed room. The high school field could see a 382-meter running track surrounding its new field. School reps said the projects would be eligible for $500,000 in New York State aid, school officials said.
“The fields are something the community had wanted for a long time,” Napolitano said.
The turf infill, debated due to its contents, has given school reps pause recently. An infill has not been picked, but District Superintendent Dr. Michael Nagler said recently the district was planning to “coolfill” (green plastic pellets) at both sites. Plastic infill carries a $60,000-$150,000 bill, district architects said last summer. Field turf infill had been hotly-debated nationally because of one option made up of recycled tires, dubbed crumb rubber. Some studies say compounds like arsenic, benzene, lead, mercury and trichloroethylene among others, are a serious cause of concern in the rubber. A 2009 EPA study said it poses no threat, but more data is needed.
“The fill, we haven’t decided on yet,” said Napolitano. “We’re exploring a lot of different options.”
Contractor bids for the job are expected on June 9, 2016, with construction to begin that summer. The district had been examining plans at both locations dating back to October 2014.
