Dec. vote set on $31.8 Mil school bond

Rockville Centre's five school board trustees voted unanimously to accept a State Environmental Quality Review Act study that concluded that the proposed renovations of South Side High School would have “no significant adverse environmental impact.”

The vote paved the way for the board to authorize, also unanimously, a special district meeting on Thursday, Dec. 17, for the public to vote on the proposed $31.8 million bond issue referendum. Ballots will be cast that day, in the South Side High School gym, between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m.

The two votes came toward the end of a three-hour Board of Education meeting that wrapped up at 11:25 p.m. on Oct. 20.

The meeting started with a walking tour of the high school to show a group of about 50 visitors where — and why — the renovations would take place. “Think of the three S's: science, security and safety,” said South Side Principal Dr. Carol Burris, repeating comments she made about the proposed renovations during the annual inspection of the district's seven buildings on Sept. 2 that began with a close look at conditions in the high school.

District officials reiterated that the high school renovations are worthy and necessary. Plans developed by BBS Architects & Engineers, in conjunction with school administrators, would address security issues at the high school caused by the five doors that must remain open for students to get to and from dilapidated, 40-year-old “temporary” portable classrooms, which would be removed and replaced. The renovations would also alleviate congestion in hallways and stairwells, expand and update science classrooms and labs and increase cafeteria capacity.

A new music room would be built, ventilation would be improved throughout the building, leaking pipes that can no longer be patched would be fixed and approximately 60 parking spaces would be added on the campus.

The board's votes came after a lengthy period of public comment. Questions from village resident Jack Talty, a frequent school district critic, began with a reproach of what he called appallingly poor grammar in the Compact for Learning Report that was the impetus for the proposed renovations.