Nassau BOCES will hold a public referendum on Thursday, Oct. 16, asking voters to consider a plan that includes the purchase of a school, the sale of a vacant property and capital improvements to enhance safety and accessibility at two existing facilities at no additional cost to taxpayers.
The first part of the referendum involves the purchase of Seaman Neck Middle School from the Levittown School District for $7,216,000. BOCES had leased the property, located at 1100 Crestline Place in Seaford, annually, using it as a middle school for students with learning, behavioral, emotional and developmental disabilities.
The Levittown School District would retain ownership of the adjoining athletic fields for continued use by student athletic teams and community organizations. Levittown community members approved the district’s sale in May when approving its 2025-26 budget.
BOCES said two educational programs in the facility currently serve 142 students.
The purchase would eliminate an annual rental cost of $1,014,324, currently shared by all 56 component districts through administrative charges, according to BOCES.
The referendum also includes funding for safety and accessibility upgrades totaling $5,700,000 at the Rosemary Kennedy Center in Wantagh and the Jerusalem Avenue School in North Bellmore.
The capital projects include installing secured vestibules at the main entrances for the Rosemary Kennedy School and the Center for Community Adjustment, and installing three secured vestibules as well as a new elevator to provide ADA-compliant access to the second floor at the Jerusalem Avenue School.
Community members will also decide on the future of the Hasket Drive Complex in Syosset. BOCES is proposing to sell the property for roughly $6.83 million to an unidentified approved buyer.
BOCES said that if the referendum is approved, the projects will be funded using proceeds from the sale of the vacant property, the Nassau BOCES capital fund or both. No additional cost will be incurred by local taxpayers or the 56 component school districts, BOCES said.
Nassau County residents can vote at the following locations on Oct. 16 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.:
- Carman Road School – 1 Carmans Road, Massapequa Park
- Center for Community Adjustment at Rosemary Kennedy Center – 2850 N. Jerusalem Road, Wantagh
- George Farber Administrative Center – 71 Clinton Road, Garden City
- Iris Wolfson High School – 21 Chestnut St., Greenvale
- Jerusalem Avenue School – 2351 Jerusalem Ave., North Bellmore
- Joseph M. Barry Career & Technical Education Center – 1196 Prospect Ave., Westbury
- Long Island High School for the Arts – 239 Cold Spring Road, Syosset
- Robert E. Lupinskie Center – 1 Merrick Ave., Westbury
- Seaman Neck Middle School – 1100 Crestline Place, Seaford
