By Karenlyn Barone
"I am ecstatic for the students of East Rockaway, those currently attending and all those who will enter these doors in the future," said Board of Education President Mary Boccuzzi.
The East Rockaway Board of Education put feelers out in 2003, asking the community to consider a $28 million bond for district-wide improvements and major construction at the junior/senior high school. The original proposal, presented that December, was the result of year-long research done by the members of the Board of Education and the superintendent, coupled with the recommendations of a professional architect. That proposal, which included $15.9 million for the addition of a middle school, was quickly withdrawn due to resident opposition.
This past September, a Facilities Committee was charged with dissecting the original version of the bond proposal and coming back to the Board of Education with revisions that were more realistic, and more apt to meet with residents' approval.
This time the district also assembled a Citizens Advisory Committee made up of residents who worked together for six weeks, toured the school buildings, met with an architect and made their recommendations to the board at a meeting on Dec. 9. The board had no input in the study, and was made privy to the report for the first time, along with residents, at the meeting. It was then the board's responsibility to review the findings and recommendations of the committee and decide whether to present the bond to the community in a formal proposal. It did so, but only after cutting over $2 million from the Facilities Committee's recommendations and focusing on necessary infrastructure repairs.
Cuts included $1.2 million at the junior/senior high school, by trimming the technology building renovation and a wish list that had included a new track and press box. Centre Avenue's portion of the bond was cut by over $240,000 with the elimination of additional parking and the refurbishment of the all-purpose room. Rhame Avenue Elementary School, in its revision, will not receive any additional parking, and the kitchen renovation has been eliminated as well. The final $18.7 million bond proposal was put to a vote last Friday. Residents said that the cuts, along with the district's openness about the needs of the buildings, led to their approval.
"The turnout was strong," said School Superintendent Dr. Arnold Dodge. "I was glad to see so many people voted. Actually, more people voted for the bond issue than did in the last budget vote."
Several tours of the school were conducted prior to the vote, and many residents took advantage of the opportunity to see exactly what was being proposed. During the January district-wide tour, may expressed surprise at the buildings' obvious needs.
One resident said, "I had no idea. I was ready to vote the bond down, but now that I've seen the need first-hand, I just cannot say no."
Dodge was thrilled with the subsequent results. "I'm very pleased that the community decided to support the bond initiative," he said. "This will give the district an opportunity to provide the much-needed instructional space and building renovations for our students." Dodge said that the bond was approved because "the board listened carefully to the community's concerns both for improving the educational environment and for keeping the financial picture in focus.
District officials are hopeful that renovations will begin as early as this summer.
Comments about this story? KBarone@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 202.
