Residents in two Long Island school districts are heading to the polls Tuesday to decide the fate of multimillion dollar propositions in their communities.
The Westhampton Beach school district is seeking voter approval for two propositions, totaling $30 million, which are aimed at making safety upgrades and infrastructure improvements.
If approved, Proposition 2 would cost the average homeowner — with a property assessed at $750,000 — about $165 annually, according to the district. Proposition 1 does not come with an additional cost to taxpayers, officials said.
Proposition 2 can only pass if the first proposition is approved, according to the district.
Administrators said the projects are based on recommendations from the district’s facilities committee.
“When we invest in our schools, we invest in our community,” Superintendent Carolyn Probst said in a statement. “These improvements will not only benefit students, but also ensure our schools remain safe, secure and a continued source of pride for the community.”
Proposition 1, which would authorize $13 million in borrowing, includes projects such as replacing parking lot lighting, installing new asphalt and storm drains, and adding new concrete curbs and sidewalks. The proposition would also fund new security vestibules for processing visitors at the schools and a reconstruction of the high school tennis courts, according to the district.
The second proposition, for $17 million in spending, would be used for air ventilation projects across several district buildings and a new elementary school playground. This proposition also includes the creation of a new multi-sport turf field at the Hite property adjacent to the elementary school, according to the district.
Probst said the district anticipates work on the projects would begin in the summer of 2026. “The timeline for completion is dependent on state approvals,” she noted.
Officials have said “pending the availability of funds” following the completion of the proposed projects, they would seek to use any extra money to pay for districtwide restroom updates and “floor tile abatements and replacements.”
Voting will be held Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Westhampton Beach High School, 49 Lilac Rd., in the large group instruction room.
In Long Beach, the district is asking voters to consider an $87.7 million capital improvement plan funded by serial bonds.
If approved, the bond will not result in an increase in taxes, “as new debt service would replace expiring debt that supported the prior large-scale capital plan approved by voters in 2009,” the district said.
The proposed projects would include the installation of HVAC systems in all schools, playground renovations or additions at the elementary schools, athletic field and locker room improvements at the middle and high schools, a new high school wrestling room, new high school “instructional spaces” for marine science, technology, carpentry and robotics, and a new roof at the Long Beach Public Library, according to the district website.
Voting will take place from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Residents must vote at their designated polling locations, which can be found at lbeach.org.
Darwin Yanes is a native Long Islander and Stony Brook University graduate who covers education. He previously covered the Town of North Hempstead.