Valley Stream Central H.S. district bond vote set for Dec. 6

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The Central High School District Board of Education on Sept. 13 approved a $41 million bond proposal, which will be put forth to the community for a vote on Dec. 6.

The bond would fund repairs to the school’s roofs, which members of the board emphasized is the most important factor in maintaining the overall quality of the district’s facilities. Other outlined work includes enhancing restrooms and science classrooms, and installing three turf fields.

Superintendent Bill Heidenreich said the idea for the bond came during a buildings tour of the district in January.

“As the board tours our facilities, what becomes obvious year after year is there’s always more work that needs to be done at any given point in time,” Heidenreich said. “When we looked at an architect’s report regarding our roofs reaching the end of their life expectancy, and coupled that with low interest rates, the board looked at what other needs we should include.”

Heidenreich said an architectural survey determined that the roofs have only about two to three years left in them. The district’s goal, according to Heidenreich, is to have new roofs installed during summer 2018.

According to preliminary estimates conducted by Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations Wayne Loper, if the bond passes, District 13 residents would see an approximate $52.96 per year tax increase, District 24 would see a $46.17 increase, and District 30 would see a $37.56 increase.

“Sometimes the longer you put off a repair, the more costly it becomes,” Heidenreich noted. “You could continually patch things and try to use a stop-gap approach, but our roofs are definitely coming to the end of their life cycle.”

According to Heidenreich, installing artificial-turf fields will help quell complaints about the current quality of the school’s athletic fields, which he pointed out have divots due to being in constant use.

Turf fields have been a point of contention with some residents, who fear there are health concerns attached to them. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced in February that it would study artificial-turf fields, made from recycled rubber tires, to better understand any health risks associated with them. Heidenreich acknowledged the distress, and said he has spoken to experts and has been reassured about the safety of the fields. With the school playing the majority of its away games on turf fields, Heidenreich said he sees no cause for alarm. The fields comprise roughly $8 million of the bond’s total.

Heidenreich said he hopes the public is open-minded and comes out to learn more about it.

“With what we know about interest rates right now and the conditions of our roofs,” Heidenreich said, “now is the time to act.”

The next business board meeting for the Central High School District is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 5 at 8 p.m.