North Shore community to vote on spending propositions

New facilities could be coming to North Shore School District within the three to five years. The district is holding a vote Tuesday on two spending propositions. The first is for $11.76 million in bond projects spanning all five schools. These projects include replacement and improvement of some indoor spaces and large space air conditioning, athletic and recreation improvements and new bleachers and fencing.

The second proposition is for $2.48 million from the district’s capital reserve funds for the replacement of the high school track and installing stadium lights at the high school football field.

Bond and capital reserve fund projects do not impact the yearly budget. Superintendent Chris Zublionis explained the need for and timeliness of the projects included.

Q: Why are these projects so necessary?

A: These are basically projects that have not been attended to. Our track is at the end of its useful life, and every high school does need a track. The Glen Head elevator, that’s a simpler project. That has been repaired and repaired. It cannot be repaired anymore. It needs to be rebuilt. Every school doesn’t need an elevator for accessibility. Same with the high school auditorium ceiling that needs to be replaced…Each of these projects does involve student safety (and) they’re difficult to fund in a regular budget, so that’s why we’re grouping them together. Large space air conditioning is a mandate from Governor Hochul that was signed into law effective Sept. 1, 2025. We need to have large spaces that can stay at a lower temperature.

Q:Why are capital reserve funds being used?

A: The capital reserve fund is there so that we can complete these projects without having an impact on the budget, and the track and the lights kind of go together as one project in the same space. The track is at the end of its useful life, we’ve done everything we can to repair it. We cannot repair it any longer. The lights is something that’s been talked about throughout my time here in the district. So I’d say about the last 10 or 15 years, it’s been a topic of conversation, and with the lights, it will allow students to have more use of the fields, because the field use will be extended to later hours. Most of the time spent will be from students practicing, not spectator events, not games. There would be some games. Currently we have situations where students have to leave class early for some games because we don’t have lights. But it would also allow the community to use the track and the field as well. We are meeting with residents. If the proposition passes, we will form a formal committee to talk about light usage as well.

Q:What else do you want the community to know about the projects?

A: In general, we really feel that we’ve tried to be very targeted and precise with what we’re asking the community to approve in terms of the amounts of funding, the projects that are in there. They are very specific, and we really do believe it will provide students with what they need, and for decades, and now is a good time to do it in terms of the cost of materials, doing it before things become more expensive, and doing it in the most efficient way possible.

Voting on Tuesday will be open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. in the high school gymnasium. A complete list of the projects included can be found on the district website.