If you try and don't succeed, try try again. That's certainly the philosophy the Mineola School District used. Just last spring, a $37.7 million bond referendum was voted down by 62 percent of those who voted.

However, the board of education and district officials still felt they needed to address issues such as overcrowding in the schools, advances in technology, building repairs and the vacant Willis Avenue property.

The board and the district regrouped and proposed a $25.7 million referendum that last week was approved by district voters by a 934-642 margin. Those voting in favor of the bond garnered 59 percent of the vote as opposed to last year when 62 percent of voters voted the referendum down.

Proof of the community's support of the bond lied in the fact that in each of the four district elementary schools where the voting took place, the majority of voters approved it. Residents who voted at the Cross Street School voted 190-137 in favor; voters at the Hampton Street School voted 173-133 in favor; voters at the Jackson Avenue School voted 323-261 in favor and voters at the Meadow Drive School voted 248-111 in favor.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Harry Jaroslaw gave much of the credit of the bond passing to the survey the district and the board sent out to residents. The district and board used the survey as a guideline in determining what should be included in the bond as well as what the community was willing to support financially.

"The survey was very critical for us because it gave us a sense of direction. The survey helped us frame the issues that were important to our community and we listened," said Jaroslaw.

At 9 p.m. on Tuesday, June 20, the day of the vote, Jaroslaw, other district officials such as assistant superintendents Deanne Gerstel and Ari-Zev Anolic, John Jackson, the district's chief financial officer and board of education members RoseAnn Buglione, Patricia Mittler, Gia Lynne Hall, John McGrath and Dennis Mortensen waited nervously in the faculty cafeteria at the Jackson Avenue School.

After the votes were tallied, those who put the bond together congratulated each other and celebrated its passing. "I am very grateful to the many good people who worked on behalf of this bond issue and that means our parents, members of the staff and the board," Jaroslaw said.

A jubilant Buglione breathed a sigh of relief and expressed her excitement over the improvements that will be made to the district. "It has made every minute of the seven years I've been on the board well worth it," she said. "Some of the problems have been resolved in a way that will benefit children in the district today as well as in the future. I'm just so happy."

As a result of the bond passing, the Willis Avenue building will be demolished and a new structure housing central administration offices as well as all of the district's pre-kindergarten and kindergarten classes will be erected. This plan will help solve any overcrowding conditions in the middle school and elementary schools. Also, if the district decides or the state mandates a full day kindergarten program, the new structure will be able to accommodate it.

The district will be able to enhance library media centers, have computers with Internet access in all the schools, network each of the schools for video, voice and data for enhanced instruction, as well as other technology-based initiatives.

In addition, there will be two new boilers and a new roof installed at the Meadow Drive School, a new roof at Mineola High School and new boilers at the Cross Street and middle schools. The cafeteria at the middle school will also be expanded and redesigned.

"In time, we will have adequate space, significant enhancement of our educational technology and we will be able to make badly needed repairs and spread the cost out over a long period of time," Jaroslaw said.

The average cost over the 30 year life of the bond will be $96.38 per year before the STAR program of tax relief is factored in. With the STAR program for senior citizens earning less than $60,000, the actual cost will be $53.01 and for non-seniors, $70.36.