Bond Referendum Approved by Community
On Tuesday, March 8, 2016, community residents within the Amityville School District approved the district's capital bond referendum by a vote of 650 to 529. The district would like to thank all of those who voted and for the community's support of the project. Our school and community pride remains strong and we have a bright future ahead!
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Bond Work Gets Underway
August 2017 - Construction has been taking place at all five schools this summer, the first phase of the $69.9 million bond referendum that was passed by voters in March 2016.
One of the major projects is the installation of security vestibules at each school. It will add a second set of locked doors at the main entrances to create another layer of safety for students and staff. Visitors would be buzzed in through the first set of doors, then have to present their identification to security staff before being allowed into the building.
Demolition has already taken place and entranceways are being reconfigured with new interior doors and windows. Additional security cameras will also be installed.
Window panes have been replaced at Northwest and Northeast elementary schools. The window frames remained but all of the old Lexan glass was removed, which became cloudy over the years. It was replaced with new glass that will allow more natural light into classrooms.
Approximately 280 window panes were replaced at Northeast, the district’s pre-K and kindergarten center, and about 320 at Northwest, which serves first through third grades.
The new parking lot, containing about two dozen spots, has been finished on the north side of Northwest Elementary School, replacing a gravel lot. The project included new asphalt, sidewalks, curbs and drainage.
The masonry reconstruction project has begun at Park Avenue Memorial Elementary School. Pieces of cast stone on the front of the building that were chipped and cracked will be replaced. The stone dates back to the original construction of the south wing in 1923 and north wing in 1932. Scaffolding has been erected around the façade and work will continue during the evening once the school year begins.
Duct work has been replaced on the roof of Park Avenue. Replacement of interior doors and hardware at all schools will take place during the first few months of the school year.
Construction on the addition to Amityville Memorial High School, which includes a new gymnasium, classrooms and science labs, is set to begin in June 2018. Plans have already been submitted to the State Education Department, with approval expected in February. Capital projects are also scheduled to begin next summer at Edmund W. Miles Middle School, including the replacement of original windows.
The exterior portable classroom wing at Northwest is being repainted this summer as a district maintenance project.
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Bond Building Tours and Community Forum Planned January and February 2016
Para ver la versión de este artículo en español, por favor haga clic aquí.
January 2016 - The Board of Education and administration have announced a series of building tours for community residents, as well as a special community forum, in preparation for the bond vote set for Tuesday, March 8.
“We invite all interested residents to take a tour of our buildings to see firsthand the conditions that our students learn in,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Mary Kelly. “It is our hope that as many community members as possible will take the time to tour our facilities, ask questions and become informed of our capital needs before the vote in early March.”
The tour schedule is as follows:
Saturday, Jan. 30
Northeast Elementary School, 8:30 a.m.
Northwest Elementary School, 9:30 a.m.
Park Avenue Elementary School, 10:30 a.m.
Monday, Feb. 1
Northeast Elementary School, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 2
Northwest Elementary School, 7 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 4
Park Avenue Elementary School, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 6
Edmund W. Miles Middle School, 9 a.m.
Amityville High School, 10:30 a.m.
Monday, Feb. 8
Edmund W. Miles Middle School, 7 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 11
Amityville High School, 7 p.m.
In addition, the district invites all residents to attend a community forum on Wednesday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. at Park Avenue Elementary School to learn more about the district’s building needs, the bond proposal and the associated tax impact to residents. During this time, residents will also have the opportunity to ask any questions they may have about the referendum.
The bond vote is scheduled for Tuesday, March 8 from 7 a.m.-9 p.m. at Northeast Elementary School and Amityville High School.
Board of Ed Adopts Bond Resolution; Community Vote Set for March 8. 2016
Para ver la versión de este artículo en español, por favor haga clic aquí.
January 2016 - At the Jan. 13 meeting of the Board of Education, the Board supported a resolution to hold a public vote on Tuesday, March 8 to improve and expand district facilities through a bond.
The process began in early 2014 with a demographic, enrollment and facilities study by Western Suffolk BOCES and the district’s architect. Studies showed that student enrollment in the district is projected to increase over the next 10 years. While other districts on Long Island are seeing a decrease in enrollment, Amityville is one of the few where enrollment is projected to increase.
“This presents an enormous challenge to our district,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Mary Kelly. “Northwest and Northeast elementary schools and Amityville High School are already at full student occupancy. Students are being educated in spaces inappropriate for learning, such as on stages and in converted closets. The district cannot properly accommodate its current population of students, let alone a growing population.”
“Our district has made great efforts over the past several years to increase academic rigor for our students,” added Board of Education President Ronald Moss. “We have increased the number of Advanced Placement courses offered to our children, increased our use of technology and continue to focus on STEM initiatives. Updating our facilities to accommodate 21st-century learning is just one part of improving our district for the children of Amityville.”
To study the district’s facility needs, the district formed a community committee, comprised of community residents and administrators. The committee met throughout the summer and fall and ultimately presented its recommendations to the Board of Education in mid-November.
The proposed bond includes a number of infrastructural improvements to buildings throughout the district that have met or exceeded their life span, such as HVAC systems, masonry and windows.
The plan also calls for building expansions at both Northwest Elementary School and Amityville High School to accommodate current and future enrollment needs.
“The proposal would allow us to restructure the grade levels within our schools and convert Northeast Elementary School to a full-day prekindergarten center for the community,” said Dr. Kelly. “It would also allow us to move the ninth grade back to Amityville High School, a huge benefit to students and the entire Amityville community.”
The total cost of the bond proposition is approximately $69.9 million; however, the district would receive 55.7 percent of the project’s total cost through New York State building aid.
While individual assessments may vary, for the average homeowner in the Town of Babylon, the project will cost approximately $242.62 a year or approximately $20.22 a month. For the average homeowner in the Town of Oyster Bay, the project will cost approximately $223.70 per year, or $18.64 per month.
The bond vote is scheduled for Tuesday, March 8 from 7 a.m.-9 p.m. at Northeast Elementary School and Amityville High School. Over the course of the next two months, the district will host a community forum and a series of building tours for interested community members. Dates and times will be publicized shortly.
“We look forward to meeting with community residents so that they can become informed about our current facility challenges and how the proposed plan addresses these needs,” Dr. Kelly said.