CM schools presents revised bond proposal

The Center Moriches School District Bond Committee has recently made a recommendation for a revised bond proposal to the board of education. The board has since voted, last month, to put the bond up for a re-vote with a modified and scaled-back $13.9 million proposal.

The project, according to Keri Loughlin, assistant superintendent for business, still has a focus on health and safety, also addressing aging infrastructure. A presentation was made by the district on Jan. 10

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 re-vote.

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.

The first proposition was for infrastructure including the roof replacement, door replacements, sidewalk repair, new boilers, library upgrades, an auditorium revamp, a dedicated space for the music department and as well as family consumer science classroom upgrades and new locker rooms at both the middle and high schools.

The second proposition was for a new turf field. The district currently uses the nearby Town of Brookhaven turf field, though there are no bleachers. The new field would have included the existing already replaced lighting as well as new bleachers for viewing and a press box.

The total cost for the field would have been about $3.6 million. Proposition 2 was contingent on Proposition 1 passing. However, both originally failed.

The $13.9 million bond re-vote for the revised and scaled-back proposal will take place on March 19 at the Clayton Huey Main Street gym from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

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.