Three Village school district seeks approval for $123M bond referendum

The Three Village Central School District will seek voter approval Tuesday on two bond proposals totaling $123 million for projects largely aimed at renovating and repairing school buildings across the district.

The two propositions include a $96 million proposal that seeks to address "more urgent" needs of the district, such as structural repairs, boiler replacements and paving projects throughout school facilities, officials said. The second proposal, for $27 million, focuses on projects that are “less urgent,” such as ceiling work, auditorium repairs and the renovation of the Ward Melville High School football field.

District officials said a bond committee — comprising residents, administrators and other local stakeholders — recommended the projects after spending 18 months touring district facilities and meeting on a regular basis.

“We have families in this community that are here for a long time with young children," Superintendent Kevin Scanlon said in an interview. "We want the buildings to be around for a long time. If we have to close a building because it’s an unsafe environment, that would be a travesty. We need to make sure all the buildings are in good shape, so they can be occupied at all times.” 

The district currently enrolls 5,494 students throughout nine district schools.

How will property taxes be impacted?

If both propositions are approved, the average homeowner would pay an additional $250 annually in property taxes, school officials said. If only the first proposition is approved, the average increase would be $195 a year.

The second proposition can pass only if the first one is approved.

School officials said the district is set to pay off bonds from 2007 and 2014 in 2030 and 2032, respectively. Paying off this debt would result in a tax levy decrease of $4.6 million in 2030 and then $1.5 million two years later, officials said.

What projects are included in the propositions?

High-ticket items that would be covered under the first proposition include $4.1 million to add locker rooms in the concession stand building at Ward Melville High, and $2.3 million to replace bleachers at the stadium. About $2.8 million would go toward roof repairs at R.C. Murphy Middle School; another $2.5 million would be used for pavement work at the middle school.

Proposition two includes nearly $5 million for pavement work at the high school, $1.8 million to replace the stadium field with synthetic turf and $1.6 million for bathroom renovations at P.J. Gelinas Middle School.

What happens if the propositions are voted down?

If the propositions do not pass voter approval, some of the projects will need to be paid for through the annual budget, according to Scanlon.

School officials estimate the projects would add between $10 million to $12 million to the budget, which they said could cost the average taxpayer as much as $400 more in annual taxes. Scanlon said capital projects are outside of the cap on school tax levy increases.

If the propositions are approved, officials said the state will reimburse 66% of the cost and interest of the project through building aid over 15 years.

“Any one of us that owns a home knows that if you deal with something ahead of time before it’s a crisis, you’re going to be able to manage the finances of it much more efficiently then if you wait for something terrible to happen,” school board president Susan Megroz Rosenzweig said in a video posted on the district website.

When and where will the vote be held?

Polls will be open between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. Tuesday at Ward Melville High School, 380 Old Town Rd. in East Setauket.

For more information and a full list of the proposed projects, visit bit.ly/4ripEQP.