SWR health and safety vote set for Wednesday
Residents to decide fate of $3 million renovation proposal
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District officials in Shoreham-Wading River say the State of New York could move to close Albert G. Prodell Middle School if several health and safety violations are not corrected. A vote to authorize $3 million to complete the projects is set for Wednesday.
Only three residents at Tuesday's school board meeting spoke out on the Shoreham-Wading River health and safety proposition, but considering recent history, things will surely not be as smooth Wednesday when residents get to vote on the controversial $3 million proposal.
While more than 40 residents and employees of the district attended the meeting -- the final board get-together before the referendum -- only three residents spoke out on a proposal that calls for renovations to get Albert G. Prodell Middle School and the Briarcliff School in compliance with state building codes.
Despite relatively civil and sparsely attended open forums to discuss recent budgets and initiatives within the district, the board has had little success in getting voter approval in recent years.
The board discussed this fact Tuesday when it announced it would discontinue the practice of forming a budget advisory committee, hoping that would create more dialogue with residents about the budget at Board of Education meetings.
"[The budget advisory committee] meetings are public sessions, but nobody's going to them," said board trustee Leo Greeley. "I propose that we bring the budget preparation process back into the board setting so that hopefully more people are aware."
While no member of the board referenced the newspaper by name during Tuesday's open session, several spoke out against an editorial in last week's Journal that they said featured several falsehoods about the upcoming vote.
Regardless of the cause, voter dissent has certainly been evident in recent elections.
The district's budget has been defeated the first time around each of the past two years -- and nine times in 22 years -- and the district is currently operating on a contingency budget for the second time in five school years.
The past three ballot initiatives proposed by the district have also been rejected on first attempt, although a technology upgrade plan passed the second time around.
And these votes have not failed due to voter disinterest. Taxpayers have turned out in droves to vote on recent budgets and ballot initiatives in Shoreham-Wading River. A $40 million bond proposal for repairs at Albert G. Prodell Middle School last October turned out 2,881 voters, nearly three times the number of residents who voted on a capital improvement bond proposal a year earlier in the neighboring Longwood School District -- a school system with nearly four times as many students as Shoreham-Wading River.
In telephone interviews last week, board members said that while they do think more voters are beginning to understand the need for repairs at the two schools, they're cautiously optimistic about Wednesday's vote.
"So far we've just been unsuccessful in convincing people about the need for these repairs," Mr. Ericson said. "I do believe, however, that more people are aware that this is not just cosmetic. More people realize this is for health and safety."
Should the health and safety proposition be rejected next week, board members said one option to get the work done might be to include it in a future budget, which could impact taxes. However, board trustee Bill McGrath cautioned that such a project could only be completed if the district were not operating on a contingency budget.
gparpan@northshoresun.com
Quick facts
Total cost: $3 million
Future cost to taxpayers: $0
How will it be paid? District reserves, state aid
Can that money be used to stabilize tax hike? No
Will the work bring buildings into code? Yes
What needs does the proposition fulfill?
* Ventilation improvements at Briarcliff and the middle school
* Fire safety improvements at Briarcliff and the middle school
* Emergency exiting improvements at the middle school
* Accessibility requirements and code requirements at Briarcliff and the middle school
How do I vote?
District residents can vote on the $3 million health and safety proposition between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14, at Shoreham-Wading River High School.
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