By:Damian Troise
By the closest margin yet, the middle school bond was defeated 2,218 votes to 2,192 - a margin of only 26 votes. Absentee ballots accounted for the entire margin of defeat. Of 79 absentee votes tallied, 55 opposed the measure and 24 favored the bond, a 31-vote margin.
The proposition failed to pass twice before - in March 2000 when the bond, which included renovation to other district buildings, totaled $85 million, and then again in February 2002 when a $41.9 million proposal was shot down by voters.
"I am very disappointed that the community did not support the proposal," said school board president Richard Braverman after the Tuesday vote was counted. "The overcrowding and safety problems will not disappear. We will need to address these issues."
Ellie Greenberg, school board trustee, added, "I am very disappointed in the residents. I thought they cared for public education as citizens of the community."
Hewlett-Woodmere school board members and residents debated the necessity of a new middle school one last time during a board meeting last Thursday, before the June 18 balloting. The $39.5 million bond would have cost taxpayers an extra $315 a year over a period of 30 years.
Residents and board members heatedly debated old and new issues such as: the overcrowding of the current middle school, the structural makeup of the current and proposed new buildings and their locations.
The main issues dealt with space and safety, according to Dr. Charles Fowler, superintendent of schools.
"What bothered us [the school board] about the comments most was the lack of understanding that this building is overcrowded, under-financed and does not meet the needs of the students," he said.
The building was constructed with a maximum capacity of 590 students in 1961. Currently, 820 students are enrolled with an expected increase to 870 in September 2002.
"We have children in that school using classrooms the size of closets," said Stephanie Price, Special Education PTA president. "In the years that have passed, the state and federal government changed their regulations and the longer we wait the more the price will go up."
One major issue cited by many residents was the difference in renovation fees as opposed to construction of a new school.
"I accept the need for a school," said Jerry Prisyone, Hewlett-Woodmere resident. "You owe it to the taxpayers to get the best facility at the best price, but I don't think you have any regard for the people in this community who pay the taxes."
Several board members agreed that the building would have been cheaper to build years ago, but expenses rise as the years move on.
"It was built with problems, but they were corrected and I was there," said Mona Garofolo, a Hewlett resident who argued against the construction of a new building.
The new building design put out by Kaeyer, Garnet, and Davidson of Mount Kisco proposed a 130,000 square foot structure behind the current middle school. The school would have included 10 science labs, 2 art rooms, 2 gymnasiums, and expanded facilities for special education. A geo-thermal heating system was removed from the plan to bring the price down.
Russel Davis, the architect from KG&D, was on hand at the June 13 meeting to answer questions.
"Woodmere [Middle School] wouldn't be approved today from a structural point of view," he said. "There is no major aspect of that building that would be approved today."
Davis addressed residents over concerns of a mold build-up in the current school. The current middle school is located close to the water table, which along with poor ventilation is the key to the mold problem.
The new school would have been located further away from the water table, with better ventilation and air-conditioning to keep the building dryer.
The amount of space in between floors is sparse, leaving no room to add ventilation ducts to the current building, according to Davidson. Also, the existing building is not large enough. Not only would renovations be necessary for the old building, but additions to the old building would be required to solve the space issue.
Renovation costs would come to within $3 million of the cost of construction for a new building, according to board members.
A new building is necessary to solve the current overcrowding situation, which will affect students right up to high school, according to Greenberg.
"If you have difficulty delivering education in middle school, students will not have the basis for a high school education," Fowler said. "Building a new school is the best investment we can make, both morally and ethically."
Another concern of the board and residents is the proximity of the current school to Peninsula Boulevard. The new building would have been moved further back, allowing buses to unload children directly on school grounds. Several of the residents at the meeting stated that improving the school system is the best way to attract people to the community.
