East Quogue school expansion purchase OK'd

Residents in the East Quogue School District handily passed a referendum Tuesday that will allow the district to purchase an adjacent property for future expansion of the East Quogue School. The vote was 414 to 173.

The property will cost $250,000. Extra costs, such as the demolition of the structure on the Central Avenue site, would bring the total cost to more than $400,000.

In a letter sent to residents in January, the district said that there are already overcrowding issues; occupational therapists are forced to work in hallways because of lack of space, and there are no extra classrooms for future enrollment increases.

Cost to residents would be $125 a year on a home assessed at $500,000, according to the district's letter. The money is already in this year's budget, so it would not raise taxes in the next budget.

Enrollment for the K-6 school was 425 students this year, with an enrollment increase of 30 students in one year. Enrollment has been slowly growing; in 1999, the school had 364 students.