At the most recent Levittown Board of Education meeting, what was on the agenda as "Proposition Two- Bond Issue" where the proposal to borrow $25 million was first publicly announced, quickly changed, becoming a suggestion for a $34,125,000 bond.

Several members of the public used last Wednesday's meeting, which began with the entire room giving school board member Pat Parsekian, who suffered a stroke several months ago, a standing ovation on her first night back with the board, as an opportunity to address the proposed bond.

During the public be heard portion of the meeting, one parent spoke about her concerns with the current mileage, which makes it necessary for MacArthur students to walk down and across dangerous roads, a concern that has been raised at several recent board of education meetings. Another concern that has been raised several times in the past year, and was raised by both a student at the middle school and his mother last week, was the need for a nine period day at the high school. The mother and son both noted that students who take remedial courses must choose between the arts and lunch. The mother said, as the Regents requirements are getting more stringent and more students are taking Regents tutorial classes, "A nine period day is not a luxury, it is a necessity." She added that this would also make it so more students could take advanced placement courses and electives. "The school district needs to do everything they can do to help our kids," said the mother. "Don't push out the next Beethoven or Madonna."

Though a nine-period day is not specifically part of the bond, the additional teachers for that would have to be included in the annual budget, part of the proposed bond is additional classrooms, which would definitely be needed in order to implement a nine-period day at the high school. Included within the 2001-2002 budget is the lowering of high school bus mileage for Division and MacArthur. While this is funded in the budget, included in the proposed bond are 10 additional buses which would make this mileage decrease feasible.

Another concern that has been brought to the attention of the administration, is that many surrounding districts have already gone to full-day kindergarten or are planning on implementing that program next year. Concerns have been raised that this would leave a gap between what other schools are offering academically and what is available in Levittown. Included in the bond issue is a kindergarten center at Levittown Memorial.

Prior to Superintendent Herman Sirois' presentation about the bond, former school board member John Garvey spoke out against the proposal. He said his first objection was that financing vehicles in a long-term bond was a bad idea. He also objected to the proposal of a kindergarten center at Memorial. He said that while he feels that the idea of All Day Kindergarten is "long overdue," he believes that it would be a better idea for the district to terminate their lease with BOCES for the Seaman Neck School and use that as a kindergarten center. He suggested that by converting Memorial, the work of the vocational center would be undone.

Sirois explained that Seaman's Neck would not be a central enough location so it would not be feasible as a kindergarten center. He further explained that the plan involves an addition to Memorial that would be completely closed off from the vocational center. The only changes to the vocational center, explained Sirois would be the combination of some of the less-populated classes such as the various automotive programs.

Another resident suggested that rather than having the full day kindergarten at Memorial, which would involve approximately 30 classrooms, that a K-5 school be considered at Memorial and an attendance zone change be made, freeing up classrooms at several of the elementary schools, making it possible for students to remain in the same school from kindergarten through fifth grade rather than switching schools after one year.

The bond issue was tabled, but Sirois explained that it had to be placed on the agenda in order for the board to discuss it. He went on to speak about the history of the district, and what brought Levittown to the point where this bond has become necessary. He reminded residents that Levittown has had a history of having the budget not pass on the first try. When this happened, said Sirois, the board of education usually cut the budget, and in order to do this, often capital projects that included additions and maintenance were taken out of that year's budget. In the midst of this, Sirois said, the buildings came into "disrepair and neglect," leading Levittown to put up two bonds in the 1990s. While many of the district's needs were addressed in those bonds, because so many districts began capital construction projects at the same time, costs rose and Levittown could not afford to build as many rooms as they had planned at some of the schools. So, according to Sirois, in addition to other needs of the district, this bond is needed to address space concerns. The most immediate problem currently is at MacArthur where additional rooms are needed even if the district does not go to a nine period day. This sentiment was echoed by Roseanne Gullans, co-president of the Salk/MacArthur PTA, who said that MacArthur, "will be in a crisis situation in the next four years."

Sirois explained that the original plan was to address space needs within the annual budget, but because so many other needs such as the all-day kindergarten, which by next year will be offered by over 70 percent of local districts, also became evident, it became necessary for the board to consider a bond to address all the pertinent needs of the district.

In addition to the lowering of bus mileage, full-day kindergarten, space needs at MacArthur, and a nine period day at the high schools, the bond also addresses other issues such as lowering class sizes for the first and second grades, another need that has often been vocalized by parents at board meetings. Again, though the actual lowering of class size would be addressed over a period of three years in annual budgets, the needed classrooms space at the elementary schools would be addressed in the bond.

The bond would fund 10 new buses; the construction of six classrooms at MacArthur; the construction of 40 new classrooms and furniture at Levittown Memorial Education Center for full day kindergarten; gym bleachers at Division, MacArthur, Wisdom, and Salk; gym ceilings at Division and Salk; complete window replacements at Wisdom, Division, Summit, Northside, Gardiners, and Laurel Lane; replacement lockers at Division, MacArthur, Salk, and Wisdom; four new classrooms to replace old portables at Salk; two classrooms to replace old portables at each Summit and Lee; renovation/conversion of four science labs at each MacArthur and Division; and the refurbishment of girls locker rooms at Wisdom, and Salk.

Sirois noted that an important aspect of this bond proposal is that every portion of the district benefits in some way from the proposed bond. This is not a finalized plan and it may change before it is brought before voters.