Smithtown school closure committee meets Thursday

A Smithtown committee considering a school closure and other cost-cutting measures will meet Thursday to complete a final draft of its report to the school board.

The Citizens Advisory Committee on Instruction and Housing will meet at 7 p.m. at district offices, 26 New York Ave., in Smithtown.

Committee co-chairwoman Jennifer Bradshaw, the district’s director of curriculum, said the committee must finish drafting a few sections of the report, which is due to the school board by Jan. 31. The committee had hoped to complete the report last week, she said.

“There’s some editing we want to do,” said Bradshaw, adding about 85 percent of the report is finished.

The committee voted Jan. 5 to recommend closing Nesconset Elementary School and studying the possibility of selling undeveloped district-owned properties. The school board has scheduled a Feb. 28 vote on closing a school, which is expected to save the district about $1 million per year in personnel expenses.

The committee also recommended moving staff out of the district office building on New York Avenue if it is financially advantageous to do so. The building then could be rented, the committee said.

Pictured above: Nesconset Elementary School on Gibbs Pond Road in Nesconset