Voters narrowly approve $158M bond for Uniondale schools
A revised $158 million bond to upgrade and improve Uniondale schools was narrowly passed Thursday by voters who had previously rejected a $199 million bond in December.
The bond passed by a vote of 1,144 to 1,079.
The bond will provide new classrooms, infrastructure and technology upgrades in the district where enrollment is surging. The district has more than 7,200 students.
“The support of our community has played an essential role in our efforts to make Uniondale a district of character and provide our scholars with the resources needed to succeed in all facets of their education,” said William Lloyd, Uniondale School District superintendent.
“The passage of our building bond will now enable us to accommodate our growing enrollment and help effectively provide each scholar with the tools to succeed and thrive during their years in the Uniondale School District and beyond,” he said.
Voters on Dec. 7 defeated the larger bond issue, which would have had a 20-year term, by a tally of 1,041-830.
Under the new proposal, 112 classrooms would be added — 19 fewer than originally planned. In addition, the approved bond issue limited the installation of air conditioning to new construction and common spaces and scaled back on new gymnasiums and turf fields.
Use of basement space for classrooms and portable classrooms will be eliminated, the district said. Currently, 12 basement classrooms and 10 portable structures are in use.
Taxpayers will pay $23.11 a month for the average home assessed at $350,000, school officials said. Under the $199 million bond issue that was rejected, that estimate was $26.30 per month.
Uniondale district officials said that 56.9 percent of the bond would be financed with funds from state aid and a Smart Schools grant would cover an additional 2.4 percent.
Commercial taxpayers would be on the hook for 24 percent of the bond’s cost, and residential homeowners would pay 16.7 percent.
Over the past five years, enrollment has grown by 940 students, the district has said, and another 700-plus are projected over the next decade.
Joie Tyrrell is a Long Island native and covers education for Newsday, where she has worked since 1998.
