School Board to Adopt Budget, Make Decision on Turf Field Project

At tonight's Budget Workshop Session, the Lynbrook Board of Education will formally adopt the 2011-12 district spending plan, and will also decide whether to move forward with plans to install a turf field at .

As it stands right now, the Board of Education is proposing a 2.81 percent increase in the property tax levy. The exact expenditure of the 2011-12 budget was not available as of the posting of this article, but administrators said the budget maintains all existing programs and class sizes. No teachers are being eliminated due to spending cuts.

The budget does not currently include funding for a turf field, which, if authorized, would come out of the district's reserve funds or be paid for through a bond. Trustees are voting on how to pay for it — if they decide to move forward with the plan — at tonight's meeting.

"Our goal is to make sure that what we come out with, if we do this budgetarily [sic], is going to be currency," said trustee William Belmonte.

Bob Cascone, of JAG Architects, the district's consultant on the field turf project, estimated the cost of the field — which would include redoing both the field and track at South Middle School, installing lights, a scoreboard, concession stand, and new bleachers — at roughly $4.62 million. The price goes up when including the cost of the district purchasing equipment for the activities that would take place on the field. Also, if the district were to vouch for the more environmentally friendly option, using an Ecofill infill in lieu of crumb rubber, the price could exceed $5 million.

With the sluggish economy, Cascone maintained that bids for the project could come in lower than the market standard.

The field would be used for football, lacrosse, and track and field events. Cascone said that if properly maintained, the field and track could last upwards of a decade before a refurbishing was needed.

Residents weighed on if the project should be undertaken, and if so, how it should be funded.

Some residents asked about the affect on the surrounding community, as lighting and game noise could become a potential nuisance to area residents.

"Please keep in mind the families that live around this [area]," one resident said, "because it does impact the area tremendously."

Lynbrook resident Heather Hansen said she preferred that the project be funded via a bond, as she felt that the district's capital reserves should be utilized for other, more important issues. She referenced the fact that Lynbrook North Middle School does not have an elevator or handicapped-accessible bathroom, and that capital reserve funds should be used for projects such as these.

"If the community is just in love with this idea, let them vote on it as a bond and take ownership of it in terms of this project," she said. "But don't raid the capital reserve for this because other necessary projects like handicapped accessibility will just never, never get done."

Tonight's meeting will be held at Lynbrook High School at 7:30 p.m.