With less than two weeks before voters go to the polls, Sewanhaka Central High School District district administrators are engaged in a full court press to inform voters about a proposed $86.6 million bond for capital improvements in the district’s five high schools.
“We’ve been presenting every night. Everyone knows what’s happening,” said Sewanhaka Superintendent of Schools Ralph Ferrie.
Ferrie said he has been encouraged by the response he has received at the bond presentations he’s made before PTAs, civic groups, booster clubs and chambers of commerce.
“I think the feedback has been positive. People are appreciative that we revisited the past referendum and cut the referendum by $13 million,” Ferrie said. “I haven’t heard anything negative.”
The Sewanhaka Board of Education approved a scaled back version of an earlier $99.5 million bond proposal after voters rejected the proposal last December by 293 votes out of more than 5,000 votes cast.
The proposed $86.6 million bond calls for roof repairs, window replacements, ventilation system improvements and auditorium renovations in all the school buildings and installation of turf fields on school athletic fields.
The board eliminated $3.27 million from the bond by electing to not install air conditioning in auditoriums at district schools. It also eliminated $1.24 million by not installing acoustical ceilings and windows and $1.66 million by not glazing windows.
The revised bond proposal also saves $1 million by reducing auditorium renovation work at Floral Park Memorial High School, $2.3 million by eliminating additions at Sewanhaka High School, $694,480 by reducing work at career technical education buildings and $90,000 by eliminating outside cafeteria seating at H. Frank Carey High School.
The revised bond also cuts $2 million for installing a turf field at New Hyde Park Memorial High School.
Ferrie said many of the presentations include a five-minute video produced by Syntax Communications that depicts roofs puddled with water, leaking ceilings rigged with plastic bags to catch water, cracked exterior brickwork and plumbing problems at the five district high schools to be remedied by projects enumerated in the bond proposition.
The photos are accompanied by a voice over that states “The time has come to provide a quality 21st century education. Buildings throughout the district have experienced countless repairs to floors, walls, ceilings, pipes and fields. Roofs have been patched and repatched. The buildings, where daily instruction takes place would greatly benefit from upgrades to basic systems These include electrical, mechanical and plumbing, all outdated, yet critical to the operation of the school system.”
School board members said Syntax was hired for $10,000 to help the district do a better in presenting the district’s capital needs. The video is also posted on the school district’s website along with a power point presentation on the bond.
“I do think it brings home the fact that there’s a lot of infrastructure work that needs to be done,” said Sewanhaka school board President David Fowler
An eight-page direct mail piece by the Bohemia-based company will also be mailed to district residents prior to the May 20 school district election, Ferrie said.
Fowler said “walk-throughs” were also conducted last Saturday at each of the five high schools to allow voters to see the condition of the buildings for themselves,
Ferrie said he believed voter turnout was the key the bond proposal’s success. He said he expected the turnout to be “significantly improved” since residents will also be voting on the district’s 2014-15 and trustee positions this time around and voters in December were only considering a bond proposal.
“It will certainly depend on people participating on the democratic process coming out,” he said.
“Traditionally people in our communities have been very supportive of the school districts and the budgets. I hope that will translate into support for the bond,” Fowler said.
Sewanhaka school board Vice President David Del Santo has said he thinks voters in Sewanhaka’s component elementary school districts, who also vote on the Sewanhaka budget, would support the bond based on concern to preserve the school buildings for their children’s academic futures.
A bond forum, including a question and answer session, will be held in the Sewanhanka High School auditorium on May 12 at 7:30 p.m.
