New Athletic Fields, Arts Rooms, Lab Included in $26.6M Bond Proposal

The Babylon Board of Education, along with the district's architecture firm, unveiled a $26.6 million bond proposal during a workshop presentation at Babylon Junior-Senior High School on Wednesday night.

The plan includes an overhaul to all three district buildings, including roof and window fixes, infrastructure repair and brand-new additions for academic and athletics.

"For me, this has been a seven year project," said Roger Katz, the board president and only member to have served during the previous bond referendum vote in 2006-2007. "Ultimately, this has to be a community decision for what's done for the district."

An over one hour presentation was given by Roger Smith, the principal architect of BBS Architecture of Patchogue, who was hired by the district earlier in the year to help assess the buildings and plan projects that needed to be completed.

Smith said he and his team had gone through every conceivable option for the schools, including completely reconfiguring the buildings, demolishing a building and adding new wings. These options, he said, were not fiscally feasible for the community and were later turned down by the district's Facilities Review Advisory Committee.

The changes the committee and board did put into the plan called for complete overhauls to the district's three main buildings – the Elementary School, the Grade School and the High School – after years of use had worn down much of their infrastructure.

"It's imperative to understand this didn’t just arrive yesterday," Smith said of the buildings' problems. "Some of these are 45 years old, some are 10."

All three buildings were in need of roof replacement, Smith said, noting the K-6 schools still had their original 1965 roofs in place. Nearly 50 years out of a roof, he said, was a very good value and much better in other districts where he had seen roofs replaced twice in the same timeframe.

Various improvements to the three buildings including security upgrades, window reconstruction and replacement, masonry reconstruction, Americans with Disabilities Act compliances, plumbing upgrades, kitchen reconstruction, electrical upgrades and additional site work such as drainage and sidewalk replacement.

The Elementary School and Grade School's shared athletic field would also see a reconstruction, with new drainage and playground features installed along with new tennis courts.

The failure of a previous field revitalization at the school was fresh on the mind of some residents in the crowd, who asked for some sort of reassurance the problems would not occur again.

"You're going to have to trust the people on this board – its the best guarantee I can give," Katz said.

"We've all discussed the concern over what happened before," said trustee Lisa McKeown. "We wanted to make sure we didn’t repeat."

The High School would see a large amount of changes from the proposal – renovations to the music rooms, home & careers room, a technology shop upgrade for the 21st century, a new biology lab and upgrades to the Little Theater, East and West Gyms and Rowe Hall.

The biggest visible changes would be to the athletic fields at the Junior-Senior High School, which would replace the grass on the football and soccer/baseball fields with synthetic turf – a proposal that was made during the last defeated proposal in 2006. A reorientation and reconstruction of those fields would also allow for a larger soccer field than currently used and more parking for games.

The current football field has taken quite a beating in recent years as football, lacrosse and other sports use it. The current condition does not allow Babylon to host any track and field events, noted one trustee.

The total cost of the proposed changes is $26.6 million, or an estimated increase of $25.41 per month per household. State aid on the projects, if approved, could cover the cost of 46.3 percent.

“It may seem enormous… but you recognize there is a total collection of work over 50 year period," Smith said.

Board members seemed to be firmly behind the proposal, noting many of the items were necessary for the safety of the children in the schools as the buildings continue to age.

"We need this stuff done, putting it off doesn't help us," Katz said. "In my opinion, waiting any longer is just not safe."

"The work needs to be done," echoed trustee Dominic Bencivenga. "Financially, the money is in our favor... and community support is critical. It’s time."

He added: "It is not a sports bond issue. We hope we've reached out to all segments of the community."