Is there anything more tiresome than reading letters in this space whose facts are wrong, criticisms wrong-headed, and motivation suspect? I am referring to the mindless drivel submitted on a regular basis by Mr. Boxer, the most recent example being his incomprehensible attack on the bond issue and its merits.

In fairness, I believe that as a taxpayer and resident of Hicksville, Mr. Boxer in his heart wants what is best for the school facilities that are the legacy to us from prior generations, and which will be our legacy to our children and grandchildren. Unfortunately, Mr. Boxer's blind fixation on the perceived shortcomings of our superintendent and board of education makes it impossible for him to see how truly necessary this bond is.

If he were able to get past his own misplaced anger, he would understand a few basic facts. First, at no time has any attempt been made to hide the fact that we will pay interest on the money we borrow. It is normal to refer only to the principal being borrowed when discussing the scope of such a transaction. Compare it to a home mortgage; do you say you are borrowing $50,000 at seven percent to buy a home or do you say you are borrowing $119,000? Payment of interest is assumed since money isn't free.

Second, does Mr. Boxer really believe that large-scale maintenance projects can be paid for out of the annual school budget? Once again, use the scenario of one's own home. When the time comes for us to put in new windows, a new roof and a new bathroom, do we pay for those things out of our household budget? Doubtful. We borrow the necessary money to improve our home (and protect our investment). I agree with Mr. Pfaender that considering all of the facilities we must maintain, a very good job has been done balancing maintenance expenditures in the context of annual budgets that by nature focus on education first.

The need for improvements to the football field can be debated. My position is that compared to the sports facilities of neighboring districts, Hicksville's are a disgrace. As a sports fan and Comets booster, I will gladly pay a trivial monthly sum so our football field is second to none, but I also respect those who have a different opinion. Our fields should be a source of pride.

Finally, you've got to love the thought process that brings Mr. Boxer from ceiling tiles at Lee Avenue to ceiling tiles in the rest of the district. If you want an example of why sane people should just dismiss his rantings and make their own decision about the bond, look no further than this.

Dave Staton

On March 20, Hicksville residents will have a great opportunity to move our community forward, while providing for the educational needs of our children and Hicksville students in years to come. By voting "yes" on the proposed capital improvement bond issue, we will provide our district with much-needed improvements to our school facilities. Through these improvements, we will mark Hicksville as a community that is intensely serious about our commitment to education and providing for the needs of our students.

For years our school board and district administrators have successfully fought to keep our property tax rate among the lowest in Nassau County while still providing a quality education for our students. Over the years, the district has done its best to provide not only the best educational programs for our children, but also the best capital-improvement programs our budgets could afford. But since state funding has not kept pace with the cost of state-mandated programs, the district has been limited in its ability to fund the full range of capital improvements necessary for our district.

By passing this bond issue proposal, Hicksville residents will be giving students, teachers and staff badly needed improvements in our district's facilities. These improvements will include such essential day-to-day upgrades in our facilities as providing for new boilers in our schools, roof replacements, windows for all schools, improved technology facilities and security upgrades. Does anyone doubt for a moment that investments such as these, which constitute the largest portion of the capital-improvement projects, are necessary and even critical improvements that should be made today?

Individually, these and other improvements included in the proposed bond issue would require multi-million dollar additions to our normal school budgets. So, rather than try to continue pulling together patchwork capital improvements under our annual operating budgets, the district has wisely decided to give the community a voice in this important decision to develop a well-thought-out, strategic plan.

Although the students clearly are the biggest beneficiaries of these improvements, passing the bond issue will benefit the entire community. For instance, I intend to vote "yes" on this proposal even though both my daughters will have left the school system by the time we move ahead on a single improvement. Even though my kids won't directly benefit, I know these improvements will benefit the entire community by positioning Hicksville as a great place to work, live and play. If we are able to send a message to all of Long Island that Hicksville is a community dedicated to the best-possible school system, we'll upgrade our property values and attract new businesses and jobs to Hicksville.

There's little doubt that our school system is the heart of Hicksville and the single-biggest reason families move here. Please remember that by voting "yes" on this proposal, you're not only supporting Hicksville's students today, but laying the foundation for a better Hicksville for the future.

Mike Perkowski