A solution to the ATS problem: Since the high school district is only interested in the playing fields and Elmont has been and still is anxious to save the building for some kind of educational training, why not donate/lease the building to a group/consortium in Elmont for $1? The high school would save $250,000 a year, plus we would save between some $4,000,000 to $9,000,000 it would cost to tear the building down and construct a super sports complex there. The athletic fields would still be available to the students for whatever use the district desires. There is one stipulation I would like to make and that is: Since 90 percent plus of the damage done to this building was due to water penetrating the roof, I would ask the high school district to fix the roof as it was through neglect by and in my opinion, intentional neglect, by the different high school boards through the years including and up to the current one, that this building was allowed to deteriorate. Can Elmont do it? I sincerely believe we could if we all got together. It is a sin in this day and age to tear down a school building which is a mere 45 years old. The houses in my neighborhood are over 50 years old and with some maintenance we expect them to last another 50 years easily.

Old Glory would be so much happier waving in the breeze in front of a school, looking down on our youth and their ambitions with approval of their dreams for the future. Forget about an office building which has been suggested by some people.

In the event that the high school should find the need to put some programs into ATS, I'm sure Elmont would welcome them. Predictions and projections are not exact sciences and God forbid the school populations in the other towns should grow by leaps and bounds like in Elmont then the taxpayers would be asked to pay either to add on to some buildings which has been done at Floral Park High to the tune of over 4,000,000 so far or possibly build a new school. So please let's be fair to our children.

Matt Schlechter