North Shore Sun

Miller Place schools superintendent Agatha Kelly saw her first proposed bond issue approved by voters Tuesday, though it was a bittersweet victory because a second proposal on the ballot was rejected.

By a slim vote of 648 to 549, or 54 percent, in favor, voters in the Miller Place School District approved Proposition 1, a $3.3 million bond issue to pay for building the administration building near the high school on Memorial Drive, a multipurpose room to accommodate additional classroom space, and an expansion of the parking space.

A second proposition, which called for a $2.2 million bond issue to fund the construction of a synthetic turf athletic field with overhead lighting, was defeated 727 to 459, or 61 percent opposed.

"Certainly, I'm happy," Dr, Kelly said of the bond voters approved. "But as with any other vote, I would have liked to see a better turnout."

Dr. Kelly noted that only about 1,197 people voted on Proposition 1 and 1,186 on Proposition 2.

"But we are still delighted," Dr. Kelly said. "We will be going to work on that as quickly as we can."

Dr. Kelly said it is unlikely that the athletic field bonding proposal would be placed before voters again because the community "spoke their mind."

The atmosphere inside the gymnasium of North Country Middle School was tense Tuesday as three dozen district officials and community members gathered to review the final tally.

Election workers had just finished recording the results from the second of three machines when deputy superintendent Marianne Higuerra raised her head to address the crowd.

"Two is dead," she said.

Board trustee Michael Unger, who has three children who attend class in the school district, expressed disappointment that voters had rejected the athletic field bond.

"The younger ones really don't understand," Mr. Unger said of the proposal to build an athletic field, "but the older ones are at that age where they were looking forward to playing on the field."

That said, Mr. Unger explained, children eventually have to learn that disappointment is a part of life. "They have to learn to get disappointed," he said.

But Mr. Unger also expressed happiness that the administration building proposal will go forward because, he said, it is going to save the district money in the long term.

"The [administration] building is a home run," Mr. Unger said. "That was our priority from the get go. That was the focus."

District officials floated the building proposal as a way to ease overcrowding and save the district money by owning rather than renting.

Under the proposal, a one-story administration building will now be constructed on the high school property and it will likely contain attic space for record storage. The proposal will cost $3.3 million, with an estimated savings of more than $530,000 over 15 years, according to district officials.

Board of Education president Ann O'Brien said she was pleased that the administration building will go forward. But as far as Proposition 2 is concerned, Ms. O'Brien said the voters "spoke."

"It was one of the reasons that [Proposition 2] was put up -- to give the people an opportunity to voice their opinions on it," Ms. O'Brien said.

Board trustee John Magnani said he was also pleased with the results for the administration building.

"If it failed, I would have been worried about the budget," Mr. Magnani said of the 2010/11 school budget, which voters will weigh in on May 18.

peggy@northshoresun.com