L&M Publications
Merrick Life • Bellmore Life • Freeport-Baldwin Leader • Wantagh-Seaford Citizen

Freeport voters approved a bond issue for a proposed $6.9 million worth of capital improvement projects to its eight schools on September 20. The vote was 803-212.
   
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kishore Kuncham stated, “I am grateful to our community and I am proud of their support and the support of the Board of Education for this important initiative that will not only address many critical projects for the benefit of our students and our community, but will also allow us to take advantage of the state program that will save us almost one million dollars in interest costs.”
   
“In these difficult times we all work hard to think of doing things ‘another way’ ” said Dr. Kuncham. “This is another example of how Freeport tries to do more with less.
   
“We will now embark on the design phase and we are hopeful that we can bring all of the major projects to fruition by next fall.  These critical projects will protect the assets of the district, enhance the environment as well as the health and safety of our students, and will make our residents proud of their school district’s facilities.  
   
“Once again, on behalf of the Board of Education and the entire district, I thank the Freeport community for its ongoing support.”
   
The bond will provide $5 million of upgrades to school facilities including  bathrooms, HVAC systems, security cameras and exterior lighting, lockers, some floor tile, asbestos abatement, some ceiling and window replacement, masonry work, sidewalk repair and some playground repairs. An additional $1.9 million will be used for the installation of a new synthetic turf field with field lighting at Freeport High School.        

Money for the installation of the synthetic field will come from the school district’s capital reserve fund at no cost to residents, leaving $5 million to be bonded. New York State, through a program called the Qualified School Construction Program, will assist the Freeport School District by absorbing the district’s interest costs about $1 million for the $5 million bond.
   
The money to install the field is already in the capital reserve fund and construction on the field will begin in the Spring of 2012. The field will be finished by Homecoming 2012. Total cost of the field is $1.9 million.
   
The bond issue will cost approximately $9 a year for a home assessed at $318,000 a year in Freeport. The bond is for 15 years.

By Laura Schofer

Laura Schofer, staff writer for L&M Publications, has been recognized with several awards for many of her feature pieces published in Bellmore and Merrick Life, The Citizen and The Leader.