I recently received Robert Kushner's letter announcing his candidacy for the East Williston School Board. I served on the Budget Advisory Committee with Mr. Kushner during the 1994-95 school year. Mr. Kushner indicates he supports adding onto the existing schools as means of "providing the space necessary to accommodate enrollment changes." I disagree with his position. The challenges our school district is currently facing go well beyond the effect of "enrollment changes." We have experienced a 25 percent growth in our school district enrollment over the last 10 years and the census data does not indicate that it will decrease in the future. In addition, state mandates for program requirements and unprecedented changes in educational technologies have added to the complexity of utilizing any available space in our schools. During these last several years, the district has modified, altered and reconfigured the schools to the point where there are no alternatives for additional space without impacting the quality of our children's education.

The time has come to truly reconfigure our district's facilities. We must enable our district to become current with today's educational standards so that our children can maximize their learning and compete effectively against students from other districts. Adding on to our existing schools, an expensive proposition in and of itself, is not the answer. Adding on will not provide all of the necessary space. Adding on is a disruptive process, not only to 1,500-plus students attending our schools, but to the neighboring residents of Northside and Willets Road Schools. The result of adding on will be increased maintenance, operating and staffing costs without the benefits that can be provided by a new building for our middle school children. A new building, along with certain improvements to our existing schools, will provide an enriching educational environment, inclusive of the technology needed to keep us on par with the surrounding districts, which have made these improvements for the benefit of their children.

Our district has spent eight years studying the enrollment problem and two years debating six options to arrive at the proposal being developed for a public vote. How many more years should we wait? What effect will further delays and inactivity have on our children?

The plans, specifications and financial data for the proposed project will be unveiled in the coming months. The costs will be presented and each of us will have the information available to understand how the project will affect us. I encourage everyone to get all of the information, ask all the necessary questions, and make an informed decision.

Steve Bondi