Last Thursday night, the Mineola Board of Education presented a slightly changed bond proposal of $37,720,000 complete with unanimous support from the members of the board.

The presentation featured the announcements that the Willis Avenue School was no longer for sale and the plan to build an early childhood center to house all the district's kindergartens at Hampton Street School was scrapped.

On an advisory referendum a few years ago, the community voted 1600 to 800 to sell the currently unused Willis Avenue School. The board has been entertaining bids primarily for senior citizen housing development, not for low income housing, which according to Superintendent Dr. Harry Jaroslaw, was a rumor that was circulating.

However, after about four to six cottage meetings with 10 to 12 volunteers from the community, the board found that the community wanted to keep Willis Avenue.

Even at the meeting residents such as Pat Tobin noted the value of land on Long Island and lamented the sale of the land on Saville Road, now utilized by Chaminade High School.

"Land is valuable," advised Tobin.

Jaroslaw said options available include using the land for new buildings or perhaps a field. To tear down the current Willis Avenue building would cost in the $700,000 range and to build a new building would cost about $7 million according to Jaroslaw.

Now the subject of the Willis Avenue School, which was originally factored in as a sale to offset the cost of the bond, will be treated as a separate matter.

Also impressed upon the board from the cottage meetings was the dislike of having all the kindergartens in one building.

"It became very clear to us, that it was very important for this community to maintain the philosophy of neighborhood schools," said President of the Board of Education Juanita Maltese.

In this philosophy the kindergartens are kept in the same buildings that house the elementary schools the children will attend.

Eliminating the plan for the early childhood center freed up some money that was applied elsewhere such as an addition to the Cross Street School.

Speaking on behalf of the addition was Principal Linda Langiulli who remarked on the lack of space her school, only two years after it was reopened, is experiencing.

The plan calls for a two story addition that will provide four new classrooms and a total of 4,500 square feet.

Principal Fern Moskowitz reiterated the need for space at her Middle School, which also suffers from overcrowding, and High School Principal Jay Lewis spoke on behalf of the needs of his school to be fulfilled through additions and renovations.

Dr. Ari Anolic presented reasons for advancing the technology of the district and Financial Officer John Jackson went over the cost projection and operational impact.

As the current proposal stands, a bond issue total of $37,720,000 with an assumed rate of 5.0 percent over 20 years based on $100 of assessed valuation increases the tax rate $2.79.

The average homeowner will pay approximately $15 per month or $181 per year for 20 years.

The state aid ratio of 24.5 percent is factored into these numbers.

Additionally the district anticipates additions to the custodial and technical staff, the addition of a network communications manager and new furniture that will impact on future budgets.

This will result in an additional $206,016 for the 1999-2000 budget, $209,055 for the 2000-2001 budget, $407,741 for the 2001-2002 budget, $318,849 for the 2002-2003 budget and $330,402 for the 2003-2004 budget.

Other items like software for the technology are not included in the bond and some items cannot be bonded for like parking.

The current numbers were reached after a facilities audit by outside agencies such as Turner Construction and CELT.

Maltese explained that these agencies service's were acquired to present a perspective that was much more global than any that long standing Mineola School District personnel could give.

The project will personally be overseen by Lance Franklin of Turner Construction, who will in turn be overseen by Jackson.

Some dissatisfaction was expressed by members of the audience that had packed into the Middle School's music room for the meeting.

Resident Angela Glassman who has attended several of these meetings said she was hoping to see the proposed bond number come down a bit more than it had from its originally proposed $38.5 million.

She also suggested that the Willis Avenue School might better be the focus of the money going to the additions at the other schools. Others in attendance shouted out that the Willis Avenue School should be sold.

"You may not be able to give everyone what they wish," said Glassman in reference to the different principals.

"There is nothing in this bond that is not needed. There is no fat," stated Maltese.

All the board members would seem to agree as they publicly supported the bond proposal as it stands. The public gets a chance to say how they stand when the referendum is held March 30.