The Mineola School District is planning on sometime in February 2005 for a bond referendum vote for a $23,154,390 plan that will address improvements and alterations to the school buildings, the construction of a new football/track stadium, performing arts center improvements and to address perimeter security and fire and smoke detection systems among other measures.

Superintendent of Schools for the Mineola School District explained that for many years the district had no debt service since there was no preventative maintenance plan in place. Now, with a capital improvement plan in place, the district is aiming to make improvements to the school buildings such that the board and administration feel will make the schools safer.

At the Thursday night meeting of the Mineola Board of Education, the board voted unanimously to go forward with the plan for a project that would consist of the reconstruction, in part, and construction of improvements and alterations to all districts school buildings including: building infrastructure improvements including the replacement of windows, doors, ceilings, athletic and field improvements including the installation of a synthetic playing field, construction of a new football/track stadium, bleacher improvements and locker room reconstruction, interior reconstruction and space reconfiguration, improvements to the lighting, electrical, public address, perimeter security and fire and smoke detection systems, performing arts center improvements including the installation of an air conditioning system and seating replacement, improvements to enhance accessibility for physically challenged, exterior masonry reconstruction, parking, curb, sidewalk and fencing improvements.

The district is aiming to have a bond referendum in the middle of February. The district's last bond referendum was passed by voters in 2000 for the expenditure of $25,777,613.

High School Library Substantially Complete

The Mineola High School library project is substantially complete. The only thing that remains is punch list items. The high school will be having a dedication ceremony sometime in the middle of January.

Photos were shown of the library at the board meeting including the circulation desk, student service center and student activity room. The library will hold 15,000 volumes and can fit 100 students without a problem. There will also be double the amount of computer workstations than the former library. The high school has had its share of construction work, having also finished the main office and guidance reconstruction in the summer.

Resident Gina Hahn complimented the library but urged the district to do something about the tiles in the hallway leading up to the library on either side.

The district's five-year planning committee met for three hours. The purpose of the committee is to make recommendations as to where it feels the financial future of the district should be heading. The committee will also help decide if there is a substantial value to the cost per pupil Mineola spends to educate its students, which is nearly $23,000 per pupil.