Top Stories 2019: Revised bond approved by Greenport voters

Voters in the Greenport School District approved a revised $17.18 million capital improvement bond Dec. 17 that will pay for critical infrastructure improvements at the school.

The results showed 409 voters in support of bond and 240 opposed.

After voters rejected a $23.8 million version of the proposal by a slim 23-vote margin in June, school board members hosted several work sessions during the summer to reformat the plan.

Overall voter turnout Dec. 17 was similar to the June vote, in which 354 residents voted no and 331 voted yes. At the time, school officials described that as a record turnout.

Two propositions were featured in the June vote. The first one had to be approved to consider the second.

The project will be undertaken by Tetra Tech Architects and Engineers, which pitched the initial $29.8 million bond proposal in January with Superintendent David Gamberg.

With the bond approved, the district will apply $1 million from its capital reserve fund to reduce the total cost, meaning that $17.18 million of the total $18.18 million cost will be bonded.

District administrators will meet with Tetra Tech Architects and Engineers in January and work to finalize the design of all spaces approved in the capital project. After the plan is reviewed by the State Education Department and bids are selected, some construction work on the building, such as interior floors and outside masonry, could begin as early as summer 2020.