Bond Referendum
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Superintendent's Message
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News
West Hempstead UFSD Hosts Building Tour and Bond Forum Tuesday, March 1, 2016
The West Hempstead Board of Education and
administration invite all community residents to tour West Hempstead
Middle School and West Hempstead High School, and to attend a bond forum
on Tuesday, March 1, 2016. The high school tour will begin at 6:30 p.m.
in the high school auditorium, followed by a tour of the middle school.
Immediately following the building tours, the bond forum will be held
in the middle school cafeteria starting at 7:30 p.m.
On Tuesday, March 15, community residents will have an opportunity to vote on a reduced bond referendum. The bond has been
reduced by approximately $11 million. The total cost of the reduced bond is
$35,570,029.
Approximately 35 percent of the total cost will be funded through New
York State Building Aid drastically reducing the cost to taxpayers.
Essentially, the district’s taxpayers will only be paying for 65 percent
of the total cost. That means
$35.5 million worth of work will ultimately cost taxpayers approximately $23 million. The cost to the average homeowner is approximately $285 per year or 78¢ per day.
The reduced bond includes the most critically needed items listed in the
district’s five-year plan, including restoration/reconstruction of
existing exterior walls and roof replacements to preserve the structural
integrity of the district’s facilities; address safety issues,
including compliance with the Americans’ with Disability Act;
replacement of the public announcement systems; renovations to improve
instruction and student support services; and renovations to the high
school athletic fields and middle school gymnasium to address health and
safety issues and comply with all Section VIII game requirements. All
of the work originally proposed at the Marian M. Delaney has been
removed from the reduced bond.
This is an important time for the future of the West Hempstead School
District and the community. All residents are encouraged to attend the
building tours and bond forum and to please remember to vote on Tuesday,
March 15, 2016. Voting will take place in the West Hempstead Middle
School gymnasium from 6 a.m.-9 p.m. For more information, please visit
the district’s website
www.whufsd.com.
Board of Education Adopts Bond Resolution
Vote Date Set for Tuesday, March 15
On Tuesday, Jan. 19, the Board of Education unanimously supported and
adopted a bond resolution to present a reduced capital project bond
referendum to the community for a vote scheduled for Tuesday, March 15,
2016. After much deliberation, the proposed bond, totaling $35,570,029,
represents a reduction of approximately $10.9 million from the original
bond defeated on Nov. 17, 2015. If approved, the cost to the average
homeowner would be approximately $285.13 per year, or 78¢ per day.
“These are our schools, our children and our community,” said Board of
Education President Karen Brohm. “As Board members, we believe we have a
responsibility to our community to ensure that our schools are repaired
and preserved, our children receive a quality education, and our
community has a school district we can all be proud of.”
During the past several months, the Board of Education and
administration held several community meetings in which they listened to
the opinions and concerns of residents, carefully analyzed the critical
infrastructural needs of each school with the district’s architect, and
discussed every available financial option to further reduce the cost
to taxpayers.
In the weeks before the March 15 vote, the Board and administration plan
to host several building tours to enable residents to see first-hand
the areas that require immediate repairs and renovations. In addition, a
community bond referendum is scheduled for Tuesday, March 1 starting at
7:30 p.m. in the West Hempstead Middle School cafeteria.
The reduced scope of work included in the proposed bond addresses the
most critical items listed in the district’s five-year facilities plan,
which are: bathroom renovations to be compliant with the Americans with
Disabilities Act; installation of an emergency generator at West
Hempstead High School; renovation of the high school library into a
Library Learning Center; renovations at Chestnut Avenue School,
including the complete renovation of the former public library space to
provide needed additional instruction and support services; renovations
to the high school band, orchestra and chorus rooms to better
accommodate the music curriculum for both middle school and high school
students; renovation of 12 science rooms and adjoining prep rooms into
science/STEM labs to support the current curriculum; renovation of the
family and consumer science classroom at the high school; renovation of
the middle school’s tech lab and family and consumer science
classroom/computer room; replacement of the outdated public
safety/public announcement systems districtwide; renovation of the
athletic fields at the high school to improve the quality of the playing
fields and to meet all Section VIII game requirements, including the
multipurpose field, tennis courts, running track, softball and baseball
fields, handball courts and basketball courts; and the expansion of the
middle school gymnasium to include spectator seating, as there is
currently no seating available in the existing middle school gymnasium.
More information regarding the details of the bond will be provided in
the coming weeks. All residents are asked to attend the building tours
(dates to be announced), the bond forum on March 1 and to vote on
Tuesday, March 15.