In response to the article dated 9/25/18, “Great Neck Officials Tout School Fixes, Residents Blast Parking Lot,” Colleen Bowler, a spokeswoman for the Great Neck Public Schools, said administrators followed up on these claims and found “no reports of car keying.”
Bowler’s statement contradicts the meeting minutes from the Shared Decision Committee meeting held on April 13, 2016 at Great Neck North High School. In those meeting minutes, it states that the subject of cars was discussed. Under that heading are bullet points:kKeying and damaging, and damaged cars would get spots in the top lot.
While this may be embarrassing for the school to admit, this topic was indeed discussed, but unfortunately, it was only discussed among the school administrators, teachers, and parents of students attending Great Neck North High School in reference to the need for a new, expanded parking lot.
Of note, in the minutes of the Shared Decision Committee meetings over the past few years, no other safety issues leading to the need for an expanded parking lot were recorded. Additionally, the other stakeholders, those living in the environs of the school, were not included or invited to any of the pre-bond proposal parking lot discussions.
Thus far there are nearly 600 residents within the Great Neck community who have signed a petition in opposition to this ill-conceived parking lot. We object to the parking lot because of the increased traffic that will be introduced into an already densely trafficked area, because of the assault on our green space, and because there is an existing, underused parking lot two blocks away that the student drivers could use.
The consistent, steady presence of residents in opposition to this line item in the bond at regular BOE meetings, as well as the various cogent arguments that have been presented, should give the Board of Education reason to reconsider a more productive use of nearly $700,000 of public funds that will benefit only a small fraction of the district’s students.
Robert Mendelson
Great Neck
