Greenburgh Supervisor Asks For Input On Defeated School Bond

GREENBURGH, NY — In the wake of the bond proposal defeat for the Greenburgh Central School District March 19, Town Supervisor Paul Feiner is asking the public to answer a questionnaire about how to go forward. Feiner said it was a historically high turnout for the largest-ever school bond proposal in Westchester County, and it was defeated by a large margin.

"Having spoken to many of you before the vote and in its aftermath, it is clear to me that a combination of concerns led to the failure of the bond. It is equally clear to me that the community would like to see the school district improve. The question is what to do and how to do it," he said.

"I am doing everything I can to facilitate more state aid for the district through our representatives in Albany. Prior to the referendum I participated in a meeting attended by Greenburgh school officials, civic leaders and students. We had a very positive and constructive meeting with State Senator Andrea Stewart Cousins. We all urged Senator Cousins, our Majority Leader in the Senate and our own Greenburgh representative in the Senate, to push for more state funds for Greenburgh Central School District. The NY State Legislature and Governor have to approve the state budget by April 1st according to the NYS constitution. With a Democratic majority in the NY Senate and the NY Assembly, and with a powerful Majority Leader from our area – this could be the right time to get more funding for the schools. Senator Cousins indicated that she will work hard to secure funds for infrastructure. And for operations. We also discussed the fact that the state needs to review the formula for financial help given to school districts. Greenburgh doesn’t get a fair share of school funding from NYS," Feiner said.

SEE ALSO: Greenburgh School District Votes On Capital Project

"As your Supervisor, I would also like to facilitate a dialogue between residents and the school district. Please find below a survey regarding possible future directions for improving school infrastructure. I hope that many of you will take the time to respond to these questions. Feel free to share this letter and the survey with friends, family and neighbors who may not have received it from me. I will transmit the results of this survey and your comments to the GCSD leadership, to assist their future decisions and community outreach," he said.

Any additional comments you have would also be appreciated.

1. On March 19, I voted:

a. Yes to the consolidation bond

b. No to the consolidation bond

c. I did not vote

2. If you voted against the bond proposal, which of the following was a concern (check all that apply):

a. Increased tax burden

b. Additional school traffic in my area

c. Proposal did not adequately address education

d. Did not agree with the building plans

e. Negative impact on the environment

f. Seemed like an unnecessary expense

3. Which plan of action would you prefer GCSD to follow?

a. A revised consolidation bond

b. A single bond to repair all existing schools

c. Several smaller bonds issued over a five-year period to repair existing schools

d. Other (please specify)_______________________________

4. If you support a revised consolidation bond, please provide a list of changes to the previous proposal that you would like to have implemented.

5. If you support renovating existing schools, please provide a list of changes or upgrades that you would like to see for each building (Highview, LF Jackson, RJ Bailey and Woodlands HS).

6. If you support renovating existing schools, would you want GCSD to hire an independent engineering firm to determine a line-by-line budget for the repairs, which they would present to stakeholders?

a. Yes

b. No

7. Would you volunteer for a stakeholders’ committee to work with GCSD to either revise the existing proposal, or to work with the engineering firm on a renovations proposal?

a. Yes

b. No

8. Check all of the following that apply to you:

a. Condo-owner

b. Homeowner

c. Tenant

d. Retired

e. My children go to GCSD

f. My children go to a private school

g. No children and not retired

"Finally, the town and school district are independent of each other. However, a good school district impacts property values. Should the town be part of a task force that could work with the school district or should we only focus our attention on town issues and leave the schools to the school district?" Feiner said.

"I believe that a stakeholders group of school and town officials, Senator Andrea Stewart Cousins, Assemblyman Tom Abinanti, County Legislator Alfreda Williams, people who voted for and against the referendum should meet – and plan the next steps. If we work together we can reach a consensus and move forward. Emotions on both sides are high. Let’s use our energy in a positive manner. Let’s all work together for the good of the children and the school district. Thanks for your feedback. All results will be shared with the school district. If you don’t want your e-mail address shared please advise and we will honor your request," he said.

Send your responses to Feiner via email.

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