The following letter was posted on the Rockville Centre School District website on Jan. 11. The last meeting on the bond will be held Jan. 22. The preliminary school improvement bond was set at $48 million at the Jan. 15 meeting:
Thank you to all community members, parents and students who joined us along with our school administrators and architects on January 8 as we discussed plans for renovations to South Side High School. We’re working to finalize the list of projects throughout the district to be funded by the School Improvement Bond.
We made good progress last Tuesday night but we have more to do. Please attend the Jan. 15 meeting where we’ll decide which middle school, elementary and district-wide projects will be included in the bond. If you can’t come next Tuesday, we’ll be meeting again on Jan. 22 to finalize the list and set the amount of the bond — just in time for the March 19 vote. We want to hear from you. These are your schools and they need your support.
At South Side High School, the main focus is to bring the 12 classrooms currently housed outside in three portable trailers and two converted garages into the building. The portables, originally intended to be temporary solutions, have been in service for more than 30 years. They’ve outlived their usefulness and have assuredly seen better days. Because students and teachers must travel to and from these trailers, doors in the main building remain unlocked. By bringing the classroom space inside, we are able to lock the building, dramatically tightening security.
The two-story additions in the plans, one to the north and one to the south side of the building, will provide our students with modern and appropriate-sized instructional and science lab space. The cafeteria will be doubled in size so our kids won’t have to eat lunch in the halls or classrooms. Congestion and safety issues are solved by the redistribution of classroom space within the building.
As it stands now, the high school portion of the bond will include the replacement of existing grass fields with synthetic turf inside the running track, on the softball field and on the practice field in back of the building. Turf fields will be able to withstand greater usage in all weather conditions, allowing more of our teams to practice and host games on their home fields. The bond will also fund new bleacher seating on the main field and lighting for the practice field, allowing more practices to take place at the high school saving on transportation costs and freeing up fields around Rockville Centre for use by village athletic groups. Strict guidelines for use of lights on evenings and weekends, already adopted by the school board, will be in force when the lights are installed.
The arts are not neglected in the plans. Envisioned auditorium upgrades include new lighting, sound and stage systems, as well as safe access to the lighting and sound booths at the rear of the theater.
Video of past meetings can be found by visiting www.rvcschools.org or on the School Channel, Cablevision channel 19 within the Village of Rockville Centre and on Verizon channel 36. And as we mentioned earlier, our discussion continues at two more meetings in January — on the 15th and the 22nd. Please let your views be known: you can post to this blog, email us at boe@rvcschools.org or come to our meetings. All meetings are held at the South Side High School at 7:30 p.m.
These are your schools and they need your support.
I agree, first it starts with people saying you can forgo a meal at George Martins for 200$. Its only one years tax increase. The reality is it is 200$ for thirty years 6000$. You will miss a lot of dinners at George Martins for years to come. In the next breath people say the cost of playing fields are only 2 million dollars, a mere bag a shells to the entitled few. Why not put the 2 million into a preforming art center? I know the entitled don't want to give up their George Martins dinner for that.
The problem with RVC schools and all schools is the unending overreach. $100 million dollars a year to educate 3500 students is simply astounding. Yes $$$ should support GREAT teachers and even GREAT teaching assistants but the simple fact is that there are way too many employees and administrators who do not have a direct hand in educating or even supporting educating. There are way too many employees with titles that no one even understands and aides who are little more than babysitters. Some of these folks are our neighbors. Drawing salaries, family healthcare coverage at little cost to them, pension contributions etc. They will argue their personal amounts are “small” and they contribute so much. But small amounts add up – two thirds of the school budget – almost $60 MILLION DOLLARS – goes to these costs.
The overreach mentality continues with the bond. Start with a plea to get rid of 30 year old trailers but then sneak in the whole kitchen sink. Let’s air condition every single square inch of school property – hell why don’t we air condition the new lighted turf field while we’re at it. We wouldn’t want our star athletes actually sweating in the hot sun would we? This is not the go go 90’s where the economy was humming along, everyone was fully employed, and home prices were rising to infinity. Many people in this community are struggling and fine tuning their budgets on a monthly basis. Depending on what politically connected company you chose to grieve your property taxes, your taxes either increased dramatically 2 months ago or decreased substantially. And now, the tone deaf School Board turns around and says hey can you spare $50 million more while you’re at it. The one thing lacking in this entire process is GOOD FAITH. And for that reason alone, my family will be voting a resounding NO on the Bond Issue.
http://rockvillecentre.patch.com/articles/boe-recap-2012-13-budget-sshs-field-lighting-update
After years of open and honest discussions with the neighbors surrounding SSHS about the negative impact of light pollution on the taxpaying residents, Mayor Franny turned a deaf ear to these residents and stopped any type of impact studies which would address the residence concerned. He called this an unplanned project and declared there would be no need for a SEQR hearing cutting off all discussions. He just rubber stamps the elite 2% wants in our little village that contributed 60,000$ to his election campaign.
It's amazing that people in this community especially some of the elder who all sent kids to this school are against this. When your kid was in school you would have been 100 pct behind these great additions. It should have great amenities. The HS does not and is NEEDED in all areas of the school. We should have the best available in Drama, Sports, Art and Music dept's to all our kids. If you don't want to be part of making the town better that you live in and only are concerned about saving $200 a year then my belief is find a town you can afford and move to it. Good riddance!! VOTE YES FOR THE KIDS!!!
I always think its a good idea not to judge other people and especially if they have different opinions than me. Different ideas don't make bad people. In my opinion it is the intolerant and the elite who judge people who don't agree with them. They use terms like "get out, your different,your to old and our kids deserve better". I hope your children do get better and hopefully they will be more tolerate than their father. See you at the budget vote. My vote will be No for the 3,000 residents with special sports requirements and Yes for the rest of our community of 25,000 residents who are trying to pay their bills and get through these tough economic times. Good Night.
Or are you using the field turf and lights on the practice field as an excuse to vote no to everything? If so, thats ok. just say it. Everyone understands what is going on economically in today's world. I would hate to see people vote no to everything just to save $20 because they dont want the main field and practice field turfed and practice lights for the practice field installed. The lights for the main field are already paid for and approved. I'm hoping it passes because I feel my kids deserve a much improved facility at all the schools and all the benefits that the Bond will bring. My kids don't know what the cost will be. That is my burden and I feel it is worth it. I moved here for my kids and will always do what I think will benefit them. Voting yes will benefit them. Maybe not my wallet, but them.
I wish you and your children well. Good night
-- Matthew Hogan Associate Regional Editor Nassau County
You and Patti keep confirming that elitist entitlement mentality. The field improvements will not put one RVC student on any all American HS teams. Ability belongs to the individual. If we got Patti's 200$ comment out of context, you just confirmed the elitist sense of entitlement. There are 25,000 residents in this village and you only speak for a small minority. What do you care about all the residents who will be effected by light pollution. The only difference from them and you is they all don't have 8,000$ for the beach club and 15,000$ for the country club so you can keep children away from all the other children in the village of lesser means. Enjoy the summer.