By Mary Malloy
“By purchasing One Merrick Avenue instead of leasing it, school districts will save $20 million dollars during the next 20 years,” said BOCES Deputy Superintendent Dr. Robert J. Hanna. For the last 42 years, he said, the school has partnered with the county’s 56 local districts to create, develop and implement programs and services that would otherwise be too costly for individual school districts. “As a result,” he said, “county residents enjoy all the benefits of locally controlled schools while reaping the financial savings of a large cooperative.”
On Feb. 10, residents will have an opportunity to vote on a referendum to permit Nassau BOCES to borrow $18.25 million through bonds to be issued by the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York. This figure includes the building purchase price of $16.25 million and additional debt service fees. New York education law requires all BOCES schools to pass a public referendum for purchases of this kind. They have already leased the building, effective Mar. 1, which will consolidate several of their schools and administrative services.
Under the existing lease agreement, Nassau BOCES will pay approximately $46.25 million in rent and taxes over the next 20 years, according to Fred Podolski, executive director of BOCES department of Curriculum, instruction and services. “If the agency buys the building,” he said, “debt service is projected to be $25.95 million — a savings of almost 44 percent or more than $20 million to local school districts and taxpayers.” The building will serve as a center for teaching and learning, and will house nine major programs that provide 77 services to school districts. These cooperative services generate thousands of dollars in savings to the districts through consortium purchases, innovative product development and cost-effective shared services.
How will this referendum affect local school districts?
By law, Nassau BOCES’ facilities costs are passed along to school districts on a proportional basis, according to each districts’ Resident Weighted Average Daily Attendance. If the referendum does not pass, BOCES will still occupy the space, with an estimated $46 million in costs to local school districts over the next 20 years.
How is Nassau BOCES using this facility?
The center will be home to educational services that support the 225,000 students of Nassau County each year — everything from state test preparation and scoring to technology training, data warehousing and assessments. It also serves as a center for teaching and learning, providing more than 350 professional development programs and courses to more than 9,200 teachers annually. In addition, Nassau BOCES provides more than 600 video conferences for more than 17,000 students annually. These conferences link students to museums, zoos, hospitals, theaters and researchers throughout the world.
Comments about this story? MMalloy@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 202.
