Bond revote to take place March 19

The Center Moriches School District presented a modified and scaled-back $13.9 million proposal last month. The revote will take place on March 19 at the Clayton Huey Main Street Gym from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Projects will now include sidewalks, asphalt, American Disabilities Act compliance, security upgrades, boiler replacement, and crawlspace abatement at Clayton Huey; and sidewalks, asphalt, auditorium renovation, roof replacement, boiler and storage tank replacement, security upgrades, interior renovations relating to health and safety, window/wall replacement, and outdoor track replacement at the middle school/high school.

According to the district, with smaller projects the proposal is expected to be completed within two to three years, depending on state permitting. However, the project start date was pushed back to winter 2025 due to the revote.

The district also noted that all included projects are aidable at the 78 percent building aid rate. The cost equates to $0.22 cents on the dollar to get all projects completed. Taxpayer impact analysis will be updated and provided in future presentations. The current estimate is about $200/average taxpayer in total at conclusion of all work.

The Center Moriches School District hosted their original $45 million bond vote on Oct. 24, 2023, for two phases of projects, including major building upgrades as well as a turf football field. The vote ultimately failed, with 341 yes votes to 610 no votes for Proposition 1, and 258 yes votes to 690 no votes for Proposition 2.

A community forum will be hosted at the high school library on March 13 at 7 p.m. A bond brochure has also been mailed to all residents and a simple tax calculator will be posted to the website this month. For more information on the revised proposal visit: https://www.cmschools.org/district/bond.