After two heated board/community dialogues and meetings with PTAs, the Plainedge Board of Education and administration has re-evaluated the proposal they developed to build a new school on the Packard site and tear down the existing structure and has come up with a new plan to renovate and build onto Northedge School and use that as a middle school.

Since August, after discovering that there was a 10 percent incentive on capital projects for school districts which have a bond approved by July 1, 2000, the board and administration have been looking at various plans for Packard Middle School. Although it was known that something would have to be done about the middle school, which by the district's accounts is not an educationally sound facility and has some structural problems such as leaks and crumbling concrete, the district had not planned to do anything right away until this incentive, which would bring the reimbursement on aidable capital improvements up to 65 percent, was discovered.

The plan which the board presented to the community at the two board/community dialogues was either to renovate Packard or to rebuild the school. In November the board voted to put a bond up for the rebuilding of the school on the Packard site.

When the community reaction to the bond proposal of $50 million, which would include $40 million for the middle school and $10 million for the renovation of the other district buildings ,was highly negative, the board and administration went on another tour of the district buildings to look at other possible options. What they discovered was that the Northedge School, which is currently being used for kindergarten classes and Center Island Preschool, would be a more than feasible location for a middle school.

According to Plainedge Superintendent of Schools, Dr. John Richman, this new option for the middle school would alleviate many of the concerns that were voiced by the community. Some of the concerns he believes would be addressed by renovating Northedge and moving the middle school there would be the concern for the safety of the children, if they are attending class while construction is being done; the impact on the housing development adjacent to Packard; and the disruption of the educational process at the middle school. There were also questions raised about whether the district would be able to make better use of the state aid if they renovated rather than rebuilt.

Although they are still considering all possible options, Richman said that right now the Northedge site looks like the best possible option. With this new plan the district would move the kindergartners to their home elementary schools, renovate and expand Northedge and knock down Packard, leaving the site as athletic fields. At the Plainedge Board of Education meeting he outlined a list of pros and cons for the Northedge site. Under the cons, Richman noted, transportation would be required for all students who live south off Hempstead Turnpike; the all-day kindergarten plan would be delayed for at least one year; there is a possible loss of state aid on the demolition of the Packard building; and the fact that a bond referendum would not be able to be brought to the voters until June as opposed to March which was originally proposed. By not bringing the referendum to the voters until June, the district loses the opportunity to bring it up for a revote if the referendum does not pass the first time.

Under the pros for the Northedge site, Richman included the potential to increase state aid on combination renovation and new construction; similar 7.6 acres more or less, but access to an additional athletic field at Northedge; it moves one of the district's major educational programs back into the northern end of the district; minimal residential impact; kindergartens can be returned to the three neighborhood elementary schools; proper kindergarten sized (900 square ft.) classrooms can be built at each of the elementary schools; it is better able to accommodate growth over the next three years at Packard Middle School; one less building to maintain and staff over time; no loss of playing fields, an actual gain of playing fields at Packard site.

According to Richman the cost of renovating and expanding the Northedge site would be so much less than building a new building at the Packard site that the difference would cover the cost of building 12-15 new additions at the elementary schools for the kindergartners. Since the district already buses kindergartners who live south of Hempstead Turnpike to Northedge and middle schoolers who live north of Hempstead Turnpike to Packard, the change in transportation would be minimal.

Although the actual acreage of the Northedge is very similar to that of Packard, it was noted that there are sump areas that belong to the Town of Oyster Bay that the town would be willing to let the district have, which would increase the acreage by about an acre and a half, bringing it closer to the amount of property the state would like to see for a middle school, which is nearly 22 acres.

Richman explained that because they have only been looking at this site for a matter of weeks, they do not have any figures for how much the project would cost at this site. He noted that the Northedge building does not have any of the construction difficulties that the Packard building has so it could be renovated and then expanded up one floor and out, but he does not have any figures on that yet.

Richman expects to have some preliminary numbers about what the district would save by having one less building to maintain at the next public meeting which will be held on Jan. 20.

Although many residents had questions about the new proposal, the overall reaction to the proposal to renovate the Northedge site was much more positive than it was to the original plans. One resident expressed concern that this new proposal came out of the blue but others thanked the board for listening to the community's concerns and coming up with a new plan. A major question raised, that has yet to be settled, is where the Center Island Preschool would be housed if the Northedge site is chosen. Richman said that he does not have an answer to that yet but both he and School Board President Josephine Reder said the district is committed to that program and is trying to find a way to accommodate it but that its first concern must be the education of the district's own students.

Richman stated, "We continue to listen to what the community is telling us. We've had lots of good information that's come as a result of the dialogues and we're doing our best to accommodate the concerns and make sound educational decisions."