Though no official agreement has been made, Village of Great Neck Mayor Ralph Kreitzman and Great Neck School Board of Education Vice-President Larry Gross last Wednesday did nothing to discount the possibility of the village selling its current Village Hall property to the school district.
“When you’re looking at a building, they always say it’s ‘location, location, location,’” Gross said. “[Great Neck Village Hall] is directly in front of [the Baker School] which has over 600 students and has been growing rapidly. The district has a number of potential uses for the building.”
Gross went on to say that if the district does decide to buy the property, public hearings will be held and it will also be subject to a referendum vote.
Village of Great Neck trustees said in early March they had reached a tentative agreement to sell its current Village Hall, located at 61 Baker Hill Road, to the school district. They said the district indicated they would preserve the building as it stands.
Kreitzman did not go as far as the trustees went in March, but indicated that discussions were ongoing.
“The village will only discuss the sale with the school district at this point in time,” Kreitzman said.
The financial details of the proposed agreement have not yet been disclosed. Village officials have said the school district is in the process of having the building appraised.
The Village of Great Neck board in February approved a resolution to purchase property at 265 East Shore Road for the construction of a new Village Hall building.
School district officials were on hand at the village officials meeting to unveil a video created by GNPS/TV students to celebrate the school district’s 200 anniversary.
“When you see this video you will see why we are so proud of what’s in our schools,” Board of Education President Barbara Berkowitz said. “The video showcases Great Neck schools’ past, but it also tells you what is going on in Great Neck schools in the present and what all the programs are and how diverse are education program as well as our students are.”
Gross said unless someone has a student attending school in Great Neck, they don’t completely understand what the schools are doing to educate them.
“Through the years we’ve graduated many people,” Gross said. “And most people here understand our schools are quite good…what people don’t always understand are the specifics.”
The footage in the 23-minute video, some of which was filmed with a drone, highlights the programs the school district offers in music, science, sports and technology. It also highlights GNPS/TV itself, which, according to the video, is believed to be the longest running television station run by students in the country.
<>The video also traces the roots of some of the district’s buildings, such as the Phipps Administration Building at 345 Lakeville Road, which was purchased by philanthropist and entrepreneur Henry Phipps Jr. bought the property it is on in 1916. Construction of the building ended in 1919, but after Phipps died in 1930, none of his family members really wanted the building.
So in 1949, the building was donated to the Great Neck public schools and in 1950 was converted into the administration building, where it now serves as a central hub for all the administration in the district.
As part of its 200th anniversary celebration, the school will also host a community event at Great Neck South High School from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on April 26 during which the district will recognize past administrators and teachers, as well as a graduate from each of the three high schools – Great Neck North High School, Great Neck South High School and the Village School – Gross said.
Attendees will adjourn to the school’s gym to see a series of stations the students created highlighting some of the district’s activities.
Kreitzman said he enjoys any time he gets to spend with the students of the Great Neck school district.
“There is one day a year where [the Baker School] has a field trip to Village Hall when the kids are in the second grade to start learning about government,” Kreitzman said. “The 15 minutes I have with them is the most fun and the best experience I think I’ve ever had as a government official.”
