I.P. schools seek bond for major repairs

Residents to vote on proposals Jan. 24

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The Island Park Board of Education made its case for a new bond to pay for major repairs and renovations at Francis X. Hegarty Elementary School and Lincoln Orens Middle School at its Nov. 28 meeting.

The vote on the proposals will be held on Jan. 24, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the foyer of the Steven L. Foster Auditorium at Lincoln Orens.

The board’s plan is broken into two parts, which will be voted on separately. Part one calls for a 15-year, $12.5 million bond to pay for roof replacement and classroom renovations at both schools. It would also allow the district to use $2.9 million of its capital reserve fund to offset part of the cost.

Part two asks for a $4.6 million bond to pay for air-conditioning in all classrooms at both schools and the gymnasiums. The second proposal cannot be voted on unless the first one passes, school officials said.

The tax burden on Island Park residents is slated to start at $118 per household each year, and it would gradually increase to $149 by 2021, or, if the second proposal also passes, by $204. The increase would then remain at that level until the payment period ended in 2032, district officials said.

At the meeting, members of BBS Architects, an architectural design and estimate firm based in Patchogue, gave a presentation on the condition of the two school buildings, showing photos of leaking roofs and aging or broken classroom facilities.

According to the plan, $7.8 million of the $12.5 million bond would go toward classroom renovations. Specifically, it would pay for new tables and cabinets at both schools, science and technology education spaces at Lincoln Orens, new art rooms at both schools and various infrastructure repairs. Many of the renovations would be for classroom facilities that range from 50 to 70 years old, school officials said.

In a video produced by the district, teachers described the difficulties they face working with peeling tables and cabinets, broken drawers and rusted, outdated science lab facilities. They also noted the possible dangers associated with the aging classrooms.

“There are often nails coming out of tables and desks that we have to hammer in to ensure students aren’t getting caught on them,” science teacher Karen Davis said in the video. “We’re just concerned it could turn into a safety hazard.”

The rest of the money would go toward replacing the roofs at the two schools, which are at the end of their 20-year warranties, the district said.

The bond was divided into two parts because school officials determined the roof repairs and classroom renovations to be essential, while classroom air-conditioning was not seen as a necessity.

The bond comes after the previous one, for $5.25 million in 2013, was paid off 13 years ahead of schedule, in part because of FEMA payments made to the district after Hurricane Sandy.

In light of this, Schools Superintendent Dr. Rosmarie Bovino said she thought now was a good time to introduce a new bond proposal, because it would replace bonds taken out in 1996 and 2000.

“If we were still paying off the other bond, I would have waited,” she said. “I would have felt that the community could not tolerate any more.”

Touring the schools

The Herald recently toured Lincoln Orens and Francis Hegarty to look at some of the items that district officials say need repair and renovation.

The most critical issues facing both schools are the broken cabinetry and storage spaces in the classrooms. The facilities show signs of repeated repair, but many doors and drawers can no longer close, or in some cases have been removed entirely.

The flooring in Lincoln Orens’s technology room has needed patchwork repairs, and much of the equipment is at least 20 years old. With the bond, district officials would like to dedicate the space to science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics, or STEAM.

Water was seen leaking down the masonry through door awnings at Lincoln Orens, and according to school officials, major construction would be required to repair those leaks.

“The instructional space that we are proposing through this bond will serve the community for at least the next 30 to 40 years,” Bovino said. “These projects are necessary to maintaining our facilities and providing modern settings for students’ learning and success.”

For more information on the bond vote, visit the district's webpage at http://www.ips.k12.ny.us/bond_vote