Update: Bayport-Blue Point voters approved a $29 million bond proposal Tuesday by a margin of 59 to 41 percent.
The exact tally was 927 in favor and 732 against the proposal.
The announcement was received with applause from those administrators, faculty members and parents that hung around for the final vote count then quickly dispersed.
“We want to express our gratitude to the community members who came out to support the bond,” said Superintendent Vincent Butera. “And also to the community groups who opened their doors to the board and myself so we could speak about the bond.”
He said 15 bond presentations were given to various audiences since late September.
Photo: Resident Mark Miller and Superintendent Vincent Butera congratulate each other after Tuesday’s bond vote results were announced in Bayport. (Michael White)
Original story: Bayport-Blue Point School District taxpayers are being asked Tuesday to approve $29 million in borrowing for districtwide upgrades.
The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Bayport-Blue Point High School.
Those upgrades include new science labs, two state-of-the-art STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) labs, one each in the middle school and high school, two new turf fields and other athletic field upgrades, and modernized libraries in four of the district’s five buildings.
An exact breakdown, including costs of each project, can be found by clicking here.
“Eighty percent of the bond is for instructional and infrastructure improvements,” said Superintendent Vincent Butera, with the other 20 percent, or about $6 million, going toward athletic fields.
“The feedback thus far has been fairly positive,” Butera said. “There certainly is a lot of excitement over the scope of work.”
He said there had been concerns raised about the field upgrades, to which Butera said district officials and their architects, BBS Architecture of Patchogue, were able to address at community forums.
“Really the benefit of the fields is it allows us to afford the many community groups the opportunity to utilize our fields,” Butera said, “which is consistent with our goal of strengthening connections with the various community groups. And it affords our student athletes the opportunity to play on fields that are in excellent shape and can be used throughout the entire year.”
He said the current, grass fields are in “poor condition, because of the tremendous amount of use that they get.”
As for the STEAM labs, the lab in the middle school is going to cost $1.2 million and the STEAM lab in the high school, which would be smaller due to space, will cost about $900,000.
There, students would get to develop concepts, such as through the design of cars, glider planes or bridges, they could test using digital simulators and 3D printer technology.
“It will provide an experience that many students don’t have, even on Long Island,” Butera said. “Some districts have components of it. Very few have all the components we’re including in these labs.”
Click here for additional bond information through the district.
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