Facts About the Proposed Bond

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

I feel compelled to speak up on behalf of the Sayville Board of Education concerning the misinformation propagated about the proposed bond

The Sayville BOE meetings about the $19.2 million Bond (being presented for voter approval on May 19th) had been informative, included presentations by architects and engineers, answered questions/concerns raised by community residents, and made it evident to me that this bond includes many needed items, the majority of which are health and safety issues for our children.

To those who repeatedly state that these items are not “necessities”—some are saying the bond is being presented to “Keep up with the Jones”—I would respectfully disagree. Not one item is more important than the other, all are equally important for different reasons. We want our children to attend schools that are structurally sound and have facilities that are on par with neighboring districts. Things cannot remain status quo.

As parents and homeowners, our greatest investment is in our schools, the education our children receive, and the facilities in our community. I believe this is what makes a community appealing.

We should be looking at the totality of this proposed bond and the various benefits it will offer. However, some are trying to get the community to vote this bond down by focusing on one item—the turf field—using it to misrepresent the necessity of the bond. Out of the $19.2 million bond, the turf field represents a fraction of the entire cost. This one item, over the 15-year lifespan of the bond, will cost each homeowner only $10/year, a total cost of only $150 per homeowner over fifteen years. Although there is no scientific proof to health concerns associated with the turf field, our BOE took this into consideration and have agreed to use organic infill for the turf field, as opposed to conventional recycled rubber at the heart of the health controversy.

Many families are on a tight budget, but the funding of this bond is what makes it cost efficient for us as a community. For each approved dollar spent, the district receives back 68 cents in building aid from New York State Department of Education. This is an opportunity for Sayville to make improvements to our schools that total $19.2 million, but only have to pay 32% of the cost ($6.1 million). If you had the opportunity to take out a home-improvement loan for $100,000 but only had to pay back $32,000, would you hesitate?

Bonding capital projects saves money. In a side-by-side comparison of the cost to fund the middle school roof through the bond vs. the general budget (not bonded) the facts are perfectly clear. If the roof were bonded it would cost each homeowner only $14/year, a grand total of $210 over 15 years. If the roof was not bonded and became part of the general budget it would cost $462/household in one year. This one item, if not amortized over 15 years, would cost each household an additional $252.

As residents we should assess all the components of the bond proposal; if we see value in the bulk of these components, then it is our responsibility to support the most cost-effective way to fund these capital construction projects. We must support our community, support our schools. We must vote yes on May 19th!

Lori Cannetti

Sayville Resident for 22 years