The Plainview-Old Bethpage Central School District has scheduled a community vote on a bond referendum Tuesday, Jan. 14.
The vote will take place from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the Plainview Jamaica Avenue School building and the administration offices at H.B. Mattlin Middle School. The referendum will have two propositions that total $113.9 million if passed.
The school board initially requested a study of the district’s space needs and facilities in the spring of 2023, according to the district’s website.
The first proposition would allow the district to increase instructional space by 25,000 square feet and increase the cafeteria capacity by 50% at Plainview-Old Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School as well as a 4,750 square-foot-addition at Judy Jacobs-Parkway Elementary School with outdoor access to the bathroom from the field, according to the proposal. The proposition also calls for new air conditioning to be installed throughout the district. This part of the bond will cost $99.5 million, the district said.
The school district has reported an 8.7% growth in student enrollment since 2018 with the trend expected to continue.
The second proposition includes funding for infrastructure improvements to the district’s Jamaica Avenue building, which currently houses a variety of district and community-based programs. These improvements would enable the Jamaica Avenue building to be used as an instructional building for students, according to the district. This proposition will cost $14.4 million.
The district said that if both prospoitions are passed, the average taxpayer can expect to pay an addition $549 annually, or $46 a montb,
The school district has held many events to inform the public about the bond over the past few months and more information can be found on their website.
