Education

School board to vote on allowing superintendent to set bond vote date

BARBARAELLEN KOCH FILE PHOTO

The Riverhead school board could vote tonight to allow Superintendent Nancy Carney to set a date for the public to vote on a multi-million bond proposal to improve the district’s aging infrastructure.

A resolution on tonight’s board meeting agenda, if approved, would allow Ms. Carney to schedule that date for “prior” to Sept. 30.

A committee of community members, teachers and administrators has been meeting monthly since last fall to devise a new plan to undertake capital improvements at the district’s buildings and grounds.

Last February, voters overwhelmingly rejected a $123 million bond proposal that would have been paid for with taxpayer money over two decades.

The committee, titled the Community Partnership for Revitalization, will officially recommend the plan to the school board in May. The board will then decide whether or not to adopt the plan as-is, or to make changes.

The district also plans on applying for a $5 million loan from the state and federal government through the Qualified School Construction Bonds program, which could be used to offset some of the project’s cost. The loan’s interest would be paid for through the state.

The application deadline is May 6, and under state guidelines the bond vote date must be scheduled for sometime before a Sept. 30 in order to be eligible, school officials said Tuesday afternoon.

Click to see a copy of tonight’s agenda:April 26

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