$19.5M Wyandanch schools plan up for vote

Wyandanch school officials are offering a scaled-back proposition to district voters for renovating deteriorated schools following the rebuff at the polls of more expensive plans.

The district has scheduled a Tuesday vote on $19.5 million in renovations at Wyandanch High School, Milton Olive Middle School and Martin L. King Jr. Elementary School.

District officials estimate the proposal would increase taxes 1.27 percent, resulting in an increased cost of $65 annually for the average homeowner.

Voting will be from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the District Administration Building, 1445 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Wyandanch.

Supporters say repairs to the schools, built in the 1950s, are sorely needed. They add that the bulk of costs -- $14.6 million -- will be covered by state and federal aid.

That estimate was confirmed Thursday by state education officials, who added that another "no" vote would likely result in the loss of promised aid. The remaining $5 million is bonded.

Opponents responded that much of the money will likely be wasted in a district where financial management often is criticized.

In September, Wyandanch voters rejected two costlier propositions, one for $24.5 million and another for $155 million.

Under the revised plan, the high school building still would get the biggest share of funding. Renovations there would include remodeled science labs, repaired floors and replacement of outdated windows, some now cracked and patched with duct tape.

"Nothing has been done to [repair] most of our buildings -- no more than a Band-Aid," said Shirley Baker, president of Wyandanch's school board. "Our children deserve better."

The Wyandanch Citizens' Coalition, a civic action group that campaigned against the original proposition, opposes the revised plan, too.

"First of all, the community cannot afford it," said Rita Moore, a coalition organizer."

Few residents disagree that schools are in poor physical shape. But continuous political wrangling within Wyandanch has fed doubts that the renovation money would be well-spent.

In July, a new majority took control of the school board that includes members who had been in charge in 2008, when Wyandanch ran up a budget deficit approaching $4 million.

The citizens' coalition group, which includes a former board member and supporters, has vowed to run opposition candidates in the spring.