Bridgehampton School District To Hold Vote In December On Almost $25-Million Expansion Proposal

Bridgehampton School officials will move forward on a proposed multimillion-dollar expansion plan and have scheduled a referendum on a bond proposition.

On December 13, voters in the school district can weigh in on whether the district should issue bonds totaling $24.7 million to complete the project, which would include an addition to the Bridgehampton School to provide a new gymnasium, locker rooms, fitness center, cafeteria, music suite and technology room. It would also include the partial reconstruction of the existing school building to provide a new auditorium, media center, classrooms and other spaces. Improvements to the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems are also planned.

The resolution states that the cost will not exceed $24,734,568, and the tax to repay the bonds will be “levied and collected in installments in such years and such amounts” yet to be determined by the Board of Education.

School Superintendent Dr. Lois Favre said specifics such as how long the district will take to repay the bonds—20 years is typical, but there could be other options—will be discussed at future board meetings. Until the details are ironed out, officials declined to specify how the debt service on the project will impact tax bills in the district.

For sake of comparison, the district’s overall 2016-17 school budget is $13,778,439.

According to the resolution approved by the School Board on Wednesday, October 19, the vote will be held from 2 to 8 p.m. on December 13 at the Bridgehampton School and is open to all eligible voters in the district.

The Board of Registration will register qualified voters in the district from 4 to 8 p.m. on December 6. Applications for absentee ballots will be available during school business hours from the district clerk beginning Tuesday, November 1, and must be received in the mail no later than 4 p.m. on December 6, or in person by 4 p.m. on December 12.

Enrollment at the Bridgehampton School has grown rapidly over the past three years, and space has been an increasing concern. Last year, there were 205 students, in contrast to 172 students in 2014-15, and 162 in the 2013-14 school year, according to enrollment data collected by the Middle States Association. The school’s current enrollment is 207 students.

Currently, the school has seven students from out of the district—five preschool students, for whom tuition ranging from $3,000 to $5,000 is paid to the district, three high school students, for whom tuition of $16,000 apiece is paid annually, and three special education students, for whom an unspecified amount of tuition is paid to the school district.