The Westbury School District held a public meeting last week to discuss various alternatives for a potential bond proposal. If put before residents for voter approval, the bond would provide funding for the district's first major expansion and renovation of facilities since the buildings were erected more than 50 years ago. District officials state the monies are necessary to support increased population and the more stringent state mandates.

Over the past two years, the board has been analyzing facilities' needs and gathering community input to determine what projects are necessary and is looking into capital improvement projects that could reach as high as $116 million. The proposal, which was comprised of Priority One through Priority Four and called for a series of projects totaling more than $163 million, was revised following the Tuesday, June 18 public hearing.

According to the district's Facilities Mission Statement, those proposed projects included under Priority One and Priority Two are those necessary to "provide facilities that are supportive of delivering a quality educational experience and expanding the horizons of our children."

Priorities Three and Four, which have since been eliminated, included those projects that were not essential to education or health safety, according to Michael Spector, an architect with the North Hills-based Spector group in charge of the project.

"Those items [included in Priorities Three and Four] were those necessary for a perfect environment [and included] athletic [improvements], refitting of classrooms with new cubbies, new woodwork [and] higher levels of stage lighting at the high school and middle school," he said. "The board has since taken them out. We can do without them since they are not critical for education. They were basically a wish list."

Priority One and Two include all those projects necessary for education and health safety within the district and are estimated at $92 million. The district is also looking into the possibility of constructing a new middle school rather than repair the current building. Such a project could bring the bond total to $116 million.

As it stands now, Priority One and Two include expansions and renovations totaling more than $30 million. The projected costs per building are estimated at $3 million for Dryden Street; $2.6 million for Park Avenue; $3.36 million for Drexel Avenue; $5.15 million for Powell's Lane; $14.3 million for the high school; and $7.77 million at the middle school. In addition, building expansion and education adequacy projects are expected to cost around $60 million, resulting in the $92 million projected total.

Those projects included in the above mentioned costs would be Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and code compliance upgrades at each building as well as various health and life safety improvements, additional classrooms and internal renovations.

A bond referendum would also enable the district to expand half-day early childhood programs to full-day pre-kindergarten at Dryden Street and kindergarten at the Park Avenue School as well as implement grades two through five at Powell's Lane and Drexel Avenue. In addition, each school would be able to provide support areas such as science and technology labs, media centers, instructional support centers and accommodations for students with disabilities.

The project would also provide space for team teaching, cooperative learning, consultation and individual assessment, accommodate before and after school programs and adult education services and year-round use of the building as well as cafeteria, library and gymnasium upgrades. In addition to structural expansions and renovations, the bond would allow for new roofs and upgrades in security alarm systems, ventilation, lighting, heating and plumbing.

While the cost to renovate the middle school is expected to run nearly $35 million alone, the district is also considering whether constructing a new school altogether, at the cost of nearly $60 million, would be more feasible. The current building was erected in 1934 with three additions since, the last occurring in 1977. If approved, construction of a new middle school would bring the bond total to around $116 million.

The district is currently anticipating approximately a 45 percent state aid ratio on the entire bond proposal. With state aid, a $92 million bond would cost taxpayers a little less than $500 a year or around $40 a month. A $116 million bond would run taxpayers a little less than $580 a year or around $45 a month. On a daily basis the cost of the $92 million bond would be a little more than $1 and on a $11 million bond the daily cost would be around $1.50. Figures are based on a home assessed at $6,000.

District officials state expansion and renovations are necessary to enable the district to meet the stringent requirements set forth by the New York State Education Department. They also state that additional space is needed to accommodate the district's growing population. Currently, there are 3,979 students in the Westbury School District, an 881 increase since 1992-1993. By the 2008-2009 school year, district enrollment is expected to reach 4,361.

"Children shouldn't be serviced in the hallways and closets," said Dale Telmer, principal of the Dryden Street School.

Gloria Dingwall, principal of the Park Avenue School, agreed, saying, "Currently, the space is inadequate. The library wanted to give us computers but we don't even have the space for them. We need to hold three assemblies to accommodate our total enrollment."

At the middle school, Principal Mary Ellen Haynes said there are currently four lunch periods in an eight-hour day. "We spend half the day serving lunch," she said.

Residents and community representatives, however, are concerned that funding is being spent to make space for students that don't even belong in Westbury Schools. "The reason this district needs facilities is because the number of non-residents is so high," said resident Mildred Little.

Another resident stated, "There are multiple families renting homes. We respect the fact that these children are entitled to a good education and they all should get it, but Westbury does not have the money."

Dr. Constance Clarke, superintendent of schools, said that since illegal and multi-family housing falls under the jurisdiction of the Town of North Hempstead, there is no way to determine who isn't a legal resident if the family is providing the district with the documents required to prove residency. She added, however, that the district has implemented its own strict procedure to determine residency.

"We require so much verification to the extent that people have complained that we are asking too many questions," said Clarke, adding

that in proving residency within the Westbury School District one must provide the district with a utility bill, copy of a lease or mortgage or an affidavit signed by the landlord and health information as well as conducting residency checks.

"If it is discovered that someone does not live in the district, they are excluded from the school and there is a hearing and investigation," she said. "If it is determined that they do not live in the district they will either be charged tuition or expelled from the district."

Little disagreed, saying, "If you have 15 to 20 kids living at 150 Main Street that is the true reason our school district is the way it is - overcrowded. Give us taxpayers a break."

Robert Troiano, president of the Westbury Board of Education, said, "The board is aware [of this problem], but has no jurisdiction. If a child resides within Westbury, whether the housing be legal or illegal, we have an obligation to those students."

Ernest Strada, mayor of the Village of Westbury, said the Village of Westbury currently has two full-time employees whose main job is to weed out illegals in the village. "If the town did a better job in New Cassel and other unincorporated areas of the town we'd be in a better position. [Residents] need to go to the legislature", he said.

Clarke requested that residents aware of illegal or multi-family homes notify the district so that they can investigate and verify residency.